Phoenix from Ashes 2: Nightmares
by Armitage374
Summary: Liam returns to Earth for a visit with his grandparents and something goes wrong.
1. 1

Nightmares  
  
Sequel to: The Price of Freedom   
  
Series: Phoenix from Ashes   
  
  
  
Standard Disclaimers:   
  
Don't own them, but boycotts those who do.   
  
Anr'el, her gang as well as any original characters along with this story is   
  
mine though.   
  
  
  
Rating: PG 13 due to language and mild violence.   
  
  
  
Archive: Upon completion, this story will join its prequel in the sacred halls   
  
of:   
  
The Danish Taelon Embassy   
  
Katjas EFC AKA Katjas Global   
  
Katjas page (www.katjaboysen.com)   
  
  
  
Anyone else sure, but please ask first.  
  
Thanks.   
  
  
  
Feedback !!!!!!!!! YES PLEASE !!!! MORE !!!!!   
  
  
  
Dedication:   
  
  
  
Robert Leeshock for being him   
  
  
  
and   
  
  
  
Liam Hag'el-Sandoval-Beckett - Alien enough to be human.   
  
  
  
  
  
Flames? Send them to the PTB's. They deserve them more than me. At least I hope   
  
I'm not THAT evil!   
  
  
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
Nightmares   
  
Chapter 1   
  
By   
  
Katja Boysen   
  
Denmark   
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
-------   
  
The Shariad Mountains   
  
Kimera Prime   
  
-------   
  
  
  
He was standing at the edge of a ledge, totally ignoring the steep drop only   
  
inches away, his eyes staring greedily at the magnificent valley stretched out   
  
beneath his feet.   
  
  
  
Greens of every kind blended with the shrill colours of the alien flowers, which   
  
to him didn't seem all that alien anymore, weaving patterns of yellow, purple,   
  
blue, any colour the human mind could name and properly a couple it couldn't as   
  
well, through the undergrowth.   
  
  
  
In the sky, flocks of the lizzardlike "birds" of this world soared through a sky   
  
a deeper shade of blue than that of the world he had know so far, filling the   
  
air with their song.   
  
  
  
Far away, on the plain, he could se a herd of Neeri, a small gazelle-like   
  
creature, making it's way towards a small lake.   
  
  
  
He smiled and turned his eyes to the sky once more.   
  
  
  
Over the horizon, he could see the triple moons rising as the dual suns slowly   
  
set in the opposite direction.   
  
  
  
It was getting late.   
  
  
  
And he had a long journey ahead of him tomorrow.   
  
  
  
He really should be getting back, or Anr'el, not to mention Juliana, Lily,   
  
Street or Sandoval, would be worried.   
  
  
  
But he couldn't help himself.   
  
  
  
He looked at the sunset again, hoping to get a glimpse of the plasma bridge,   
  
which connected the two stars.   
  
  
  
The suns were small compared to that single star of the world, which he had been   
  
born to, but then, they were also farther away.   
  
  
  
And that distance was what had made this world possible.   
  
  
  
A little closer, and the planet would have been an inferno of heat.   
  
  
  
There was a childish joy in his eyes as he took it all in on last time.   
  
  
  
Then Liam turned on his heels, and with a regretful sigh, made his way back to   
  
the small settlement, where he and his "Family" now lived.   
  
  
  
Home.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Ambrose was watching vaguely amused, as his darling Fiona, the love of his life,   
  
seemed to be everywhere at once with the dust buster.   
  
  
  
That was, when she was not chasing helpless dust bunnies with a rag, scaring the   
  
living daylights out of the last surviving spider, cleaning of windows or making   
  
enough cookies to last a lifetime.   
  
  
  
She was determined to make Liam's stay a good one.   
  
  
  
As she had said: "That poor boy has been through enough pain and agony to last a   
  
lifetime. At least we can try to make up for some of that lost time."   
  
  
  
She had said that without knowing half of it.   
  
  
  
If she had known it all....   
  
  
  
Ambrose had read Kimeran reports and some old resistance files before Liam left.   
  
  
  
In his mind, the words "Pain" and "Agony" didn't quite cover it.   
  
  
  
"Hell" was more like it.   
  
  
  
He had seen some bad stuff in his life, but this...   
  
  
  
His face turned dark for a split second.   
  
  
  
Fiona was right; Liam needed a break.   
  
  
  
He spotted Fiona making her way towards his spot on the couch and quickly moved   
  
out of the way at the look of determination on her face.   
  
  
  
He knew better, than to get in her way, when she had her mind set on something.   
  
  
  
"Good, now that you are standing, could you please go chop up some wood for the   
  
fireplace?" Fiona asked innocently, after getting her better half to stand up.   
  
  
  
The "Approach-approach" always worked.   
  
  
  
"Wood?! Its high summer, woman!"   
  
  
  
Ambrose always backed away from manual labour when he could.   
  
  
  
After all, what was retirement, if one couldn't enjoy it by doing absolutely   
  
nothing?   
  
  
  
"Don't be daft, man! I don't want to heat the entire house, just enough for a   
  
small fire, for comfort."   
  
  
  
She smiled sweetly.   
  
  
  
"I'll make you a batch of that cider you like so much, if you do it?"   
  
  
  
Bribery.   
  
  
  
He shouldn't do it.   
  
  
  
He was being manipulated.   
  
  
  
He KNEW he was being manipulated.   
  
  
  
But Fiona's apple cider......   
  
  
  
Grumbling, Ambrose went towards the kitchen door.   
  
  
  
Fiona grinned smugly.   
  
  
  
The Cider was always a dead certain bargain chip.   
  
  
  
No use in telling him, that she had already started a batch.   
  
  
  
She stopped to look out her window, towards the hills and the stone circle.   
  
  
  
Liam was coming in a couple of days.   
  
  
  
She was, for once, grateful that their house was placed relatively solitary,   
  
away from the city of Strandhill.   
  
  
  
People were still pointing fingers, even if the reporters and tabloid people   
  
were long gone.   
  
  
  
It had been a couple of rough months.   
  
  
  
Renee Palmer had lifted the true identity of all three of Liam's parents in an   
  
act of vengeance, and as a result, she and Ambrose had become haunted not only   
  
reporters out to get a sensation, but also all the weirdoes, who wanted their   
  
fifteen minutes of fame.   
  
  
  
She sighed heavily.   
  
  
  
Their old friends were still there, but more distant now, than they usually   
  
were.   
  
  
  
At least the racist fractions hadn't given them any trouble yet.   
  
  
  
The sound of an axe hitting wood from the outside brought her back to reality.   
  
  
  
The smug smile came back.   
  
  
  
Yes, the cider angle worked every time.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
"Golden Mug " Inn   
  
Strandhill   
  
-------   
  
  
  
He was slowly unpacking his gear.   
  
  
  
Palmer was paying him good money to do this job.   
  
  
  
Better do it properly.   
  
  
  
The trick was for him to get in and plant the bugs.   
  
  
  
The old couple didn't seem to leave their house much these days.   
  
  
  
He was kind of confused.   
  
  
  
What could an old, retired couple out here in the middle of now where, possibly   
  
know about industrial espionage?   
  
  
  
Well, he was not getting paid for asking questions.   
  
  
  
And private eye Dick Sanchez started making plans for completing this job.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Former Doors International HQ   
  
Washington DC   
  
-------   
  
  
  
She had been right.   
  
  
  
DI had not come through the recent events like a pro.   
  
  
  
They had just managed to survive the downfall of anything with Taelon Tech in   
  
it, but not without great sacrifices.   
  
  
  
And cutbacks.   
  
  
  
Big ones.   
  
  
  
And it was all because of that freaking alien Liam.   
  
  
  
An expression of pure hatred scrunched up Renée's face as she thought about   
  
recent events, watching as the last cardboard boxes was carried out by her   
  
secretary.   
  
  
  
She didn't care how long it took; she would make him pay.   
  
  
  
Dearly.   
  
  
  
She knew he would be back sooner or later.   
  
  
  
And she would be ready.   
  
  
  
Making her way out of the building, which no longer belonged to DI, she failed   
  
to notice the small van, which followed her.   
  
  
  
Inside, Abby Franklin ordered her driver/cameraman to follow.   
  
  
  
Right now, Renee Palmer and the downfall of Doors International was good news.   
  
  
  
And Abby couldn't help but enjoy the other woman's plight.   
  
  
  
Renee Palmer was a real piece of work.   
  
  
  
Besides, Colonel Zeke had asked her to keep an eye on the Ice Queen.   
  
  
  
She owed Liam as much.   
  
  
  
And she would make some good money, if she could find some dirt on the woman.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
An'rel's house   
  
The Shariad Mountains   
  
Kimera Prime   
  
-------   
  
  
  
"Are you sure, this is such a good idea?"   
  
  
  
Sandoval was more than a bit worried.   
  
  
  
He didn't like the prospect of Liam going back to Earth unchaparoned.   
  
  
  
Despite the fact things had calmed considerably down, it was still dangerous.   
  
  
  
"I wouldn't let him go, if I believed differently. He needs this. He needs some   
  
time away from here, from us."   
  
  
  
Anr'el gave a small smile.   
  
  
  
Liam had done his best to hide it, but he was developing cabin fever and even   
  
his joy of exploring the mountains couldn't quit make it up for him.   
  
  
  
She hoped that sending him to see his grandparents, and getting spoiled   
  
terribly, would ease it a bit.   
  
  
  
"He's not used to this life of having nothing to fear, Ron, he needs some time   
  
to figure out how to live without the constant adrenalin high. To help him, we   
  
need to take his mind of things for a while. And the Kimeran and Jaridians in   
  
orbit will be able to intervene quickly, if something was to happen."   
  
  
  
She put a hand on Sandoval's shoulder, hoping to convey a little bit of   
  
reassurance.   
  
  
  
"Relax, my friend. Nothing is going to happen."   
  
  
  
Sandoval closed his eyes shortly, took a deep breath, and then opened them   
  
again.   
  
  
  
Anr'el was right.   
  
  
  
Nothing would happen.   
  
  
  
And on Earth, Fiona and Ambrose came home from a shopping expedition, not   
  
noticing the small bugs that PI Sanchez had placed all over their cottage.   
  
-------   
  
Space docks   
  
Kimera Prime  
  
Next day  
  
-------   
  
He looked around with awe in his eyes.   
  
  
  
This place was HUGE !   
  
  
  
Spaceships of every size and calibre was either parked on the ground next to the   
  
organic structures, which were the terminals, or hovering over their landing   
  
patches, crewmembers and technicians milling around them like busy ants.   
  
  
  
Not even the busiest airport on Earth had EVER been as busy as this !   
  
  
  
He hadn't been here before, they had portaled straight for An'rel's house from   
  
the "Justice" when they had arrived, so Liam had been surprised beyond words   
  
about this place.   
  
  
  
He had always thought, that these ships would stay in orbit, as with the Taelon   
  
mother ship, but obviously he was wrong.   
  
  
  
He spotted the "Justice" hovering close by and automatically started walking in   
  
that direction.   
  
  
  
A hand on his arm gently held him back.   
  
  
  
"Sorry, Liam, you won't be going on the "Justice" this time."   
  
  
  
Anr'el send him a smile.   
  
  
  
She had guessed where he was going.   
  
  
  
""Justice" seems to have caught some sort of a bug and is currently undergoing   
  
repairs."   
  
"Bug ?"   
  
"Yes, a virus of some sort. You know, that these ships, or rather most of them,   
  
are alive. We think, that "Justice" caught a flue bug or something while on   
  
Earth, and she's currently in quarantine. Heck, even I can't get aboard until   
  
she's been cleared."   
  
  
  
The last part was said with much dismay.   
  
  
  
Anr'el hated not being able to board her ship.   
  
It felt as if some valuable part of her was missing.   
  
  
  
A soft sigh made it past her lips.   
  
  
  
Well, at least the technicians was getting the hang of the problem.   
  
  
  
There was no fun about a   
  
sneezing and head ached   
  
star ship.   
  
  
  
Ok, sneezing and sneezing....   
  
  
  
It was more a series of unexplainable problems cascading through the ships   
  
systems at regular intervals.   
  
  
  
But still annoying as hell.   
  
  
  
It had been Street, who had come up with the term "flue".   
  
  
  
When it had been discovered, two other ships had already been infected as well,   
  
but luckily, it hadn't turned into an epidemic.   
  
  
  
A sick ship could be dangerous.   
  
  
  
A fleet of sick ships would be disastrous.   
  
  
  
Especially if rumours were true and the Taelons was on their way.   
  
  
  
Especially the incident, where the semi intelligent ship, in a fit of a   
  
"headache", had activated her hyper drives for no apparent reasons while still   
  
inside the planets atmosphere, proved that.   
  
  
  
The shockwave of the event had knocked over every nonstationary construction in   
  
a radius of 5 km and made the buildings sway under the pressure.   
  
  
  
It had taken 7 hours to just locate "Justice" again, and an additional 10 before   
  
they had been able to make the jump back to Kimera Prime.   
  
  
  
She would probably laugh at it in time, but right now, it was a...well, disaster   
  
was to strong a word....and then again...   
  
  
  
Liam just nodded.   
  
  
  
That made sense.   
  
  
  
"Which ship will I be going on, then ?"   
  
  
  
"That one." Anr'el pointed towards a distant ship, old and battle scarred.   
  
  
  
His eyes went wide with surprise.   
  
  
  
It was an almost exact replica of the repository, he had once seen.   
  
  
  
"She may not look as much, but she's tougher than virtual glass. She's been   
  
around since the war. Her name is "Larya", it means protector in ancient   
  
Kimeran."   
  
  
  
Anr'el smiled again.   
  
  
  
She could feel Liam's surprise through the link like a palpable thing.   
  
  
  
And he didn't even know half of it.   
  
  
  
Her grin grew wider.   
  
  
  
Liam couldn't explain it, but as he watched the distant shape, a weird sense of   
  
Deja Vu running though his mind.   
  
  
  
That, and the hard to conceal laughter in An'rel's mind.   
  
  
  
He turned towards her.   
  
  
  
"I didn't think, that there was anymore of them left."   
  
  
  
"She's the last. We discovered her adrift in space some years ago, dragged her   
  
back here and polished her up."   
  
  
  
After a short pause, she fired her bombshell.   
  
  
  
"She was also Hag'el´s ship. And now she belongs to you, if you want her."   
  
  
  
Liam could literally feel his jaw drop.   
  
  
  
He owned his own star ship ?!   
  
  
  
Anr'el reached over and gently closed his mouth, not even trying to cover her   
  
amusement.   
  
  
  
Then, with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, she continued.   
  
  
  
"Of cause, you won't pilot her just yet, but she's all yours. Now common,   
  
Sandoval and the others are waiting for us over there."   
  
  
  
Setting up a brisk pace, she started in the direction of the "Larya", struggling   
  
NOT to laugh as she felt the confusion and shock emanating of the young child   
  
behind her.   
  
  
  
Liam was utterly dazed.  
  
He owned a star ship?!   
  
And his fathers to top it all..   
  
  
  
Then something, Anr'el had said popped up in his mind.   
  
He was not to pilot it?   
  
Liam had to run to catch up to her.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean "Won't pilot"? I'm a damned good pilot, why can't I pilot ?"   
  
Liam's voice was thick with questions as he finally caught up with her.   
  
That, and a starting anger.   
  
  
  
Anr'el decided, that her little joke had fallen flat and started to remedy the   
  
situation at once.   
  
  
  
"Child, easy. I didn't say you wouldn't pilot it at all, just not right now. We   
  
need to recalibrate the controls, Lily is helping us with that right now. Until   
  
that happens, she will be the one to fly it for you."   
  
  
  
Liam face flushed at first, then he smiled sheepishly.   
  
  
  
"Sorry.."   
  
"Not a problem. Mostly my fault anyway. Now, don't you want to take a closer   
  
look at your ship ?"   
  
  
  
Anr'el could only laugh out loud as Liam immediately picked up a pace somewhere   
  
in-between running and walking.   
  
  
  
It didn't take the small group long to cover the distance to the ship after that   
  
and Liam started exploring his new ship with an intense curiosity.  
  
Anr'el couldn't help but laugh again, as she watched the Child be seemingly   
  
everywhere at once.   
  
  
  
He wanted to know EVERYTHING about it.   
  
  
  
As it was his right.   
  
  
  
Soon the ship would have no more secrets from this one.   
  
  
  
She briefly thought about the sanity in giving a child access to the amount of   
  
power, the "Larya" held, but then she remembered, that he wasn't your usual   
  
child.   
  
  
  
His childhood had been everything but ordinary, both from a human viewpoint and   
  
a Kimeran one.   
  
  
  
And the Guardian, the computer AI of this ship, would help prevent the worst of   
  
disasters.   
  
  
  
A flash of mental distress had her picking up her pace.   
  
  
  
She found him staring at the small stasis escapecapsules.   
  
  
  
"Liam? Everything alright?"   
  
  
  
A pair of distressed green-golden eyes meet hers.   
  
  
  
"ye.yes..I just can't help...Hag'el was trapped inside one of these...all that   
  
time...."   
  
  
  
A shudder ran through his slender frame, as Liam's mind conjured up images and   
  
ideas of how it must have felt like, even in the stasis induced sleep.   
  
  
  
He couldn't seem to get his mind of the small space, which had been his fathers   
  
prison for so long.   
  
  
  
He wasn't claustrophobic, but...that long, in that little space...   
  
  
  
Anr'el hugged him from behind, trying to give him some sense of comfort.   
  
  
  
"He didn't know. Believe me when I say, that in Stasis, things like that doesn't   
  
matter."   
  
  
  
She closed her eyes, thinking about the times, when she had been in stasis   
  
herself.   
  
  
  
"Time moves differently when sleeping in one of these. You are aware, but only   
  
to a certain degree, it's like..."   
  
  
  
Anr'el found herself lacking words to describe the feeling of nothingness, and   
  
yet awareness that the stasis sleep contained.   
  
  
  
"It's like things doesn't matter. Like everything around you aren't real. You   
  
know, what happens, but you don't acknowledge it."   
  
  
  
"He didn't know? About any of it ?"   
  
  
  
"No."   
  
  
  
He let out a sigh of relief.   
  
  
  
From the files of the Taelon mother ship, he knew, that the Taelons had   
  
conducted several experiments on his father before setting him adrift in space,   
  
but he had never been awoken from his long sleep.   
  
  
  
Shaking his mind free of the last remnants of darkness, a small smile made it   
  
onto his lips, as a message reached him over the Commonality.   
  
  
  
"We are about to take off. And Lilly promised, she would let me fly for a   
  
while...."   
  
  
  
"She did, did she ?" An'rel's voice took on a mock sternness.   
  
" Well, We'll have to see about that...."   
  
  
  
"Awhh...Please ?" Liam played along, knowing that Anr'el rarely denied him   
  
anything.   
  
  
  
She gave him a stern look, but the look soon melted at the sight of all that   
  
eagerness in his face.   
  
  
  
"Well.......I guess I COULD let you do it...Just this once!"   
  
  
  
Her last words was aimed at Liam's back when he started hurriedly in the   
  
direction of the bridge.   
  
  
  
"Kids ! Never any patience..."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Sanchez had just finished his first report to Palmer.   
  
  
  
There hadn't really been any news, except the old couple expecting company from   
  
a guy named Liam, a bit of news, which seemed to interest that Palmer lady a   
  
little bit more, than warranted.   
  
  
  
But, as he kept telling himself, he wasn't paid to ask questions.   
  
  
  
And still, somewhere in his mind, a small voice kept piping up.   
  
  
  
Something was wrong.   
  
  
  
Very wrong.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
DI HQ   
  
Renee Palmers office   
  
-------   
  
  
  
A cold smile was covering her face.   
  
  
  
Finally.   
  
  
  
The Freak was on his way back to Earth.   
  
  
  
She would have her vengeance.   
  
  
  
Rummaging through one of her drawers, she pulled out a small, black book and   
  
started making some calls.   
  
  
  
After all, why make the dirty work herself, when she could get others to do it   
  
for her.   
  
  
  
"Herald Tribune ? I've got some interesting info for you...It's about that   
  
Alien, Liam Kincaid....."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Erik wasn't sure exactly WHY he was down here, but he knew, that the Kimera   
  
wouldn't have asked him to investigate unless it was important.   
  
  
  
They had gotten some weird energy readings from this place.   
  
  
  
He had only brought a few people with him.   
  
  
  
Turning a corner, he was suddenly faced with a large, human made limestone cave.   
  
  
  
"My God !"   
  
  
  
The monstrous, partly collapsed, cave was filled with stasis chambers and other   
  
equipment obviously made from Taelon Tech.   
  
  
  
But it wasn't the half destroyed tech, which had him shocked, even though it   
  
shouldn't have been able to survive the virus, which the Kimera had launched.   
  
  
  
It was the human figures in the chambers, most of them obviously dead, but still   
  
recognisable.   
  
  
  
They were exact replicas of each other.   
  
  
  
The same body structure, the same face.   
  
  
  
It was the face of William Boone.....   
  
Erik was slowly pulling himself out of the sheer shock of their little   
  
discovery.   
  
  
  
He needed to get his mind working again.   
  
  
  
What on Earth had the Taelons been up to ?   
  
  
  
Clearing his throat, he addressed the doctor on the team.   
  
  
  
"Jean, go check on those capsules. Find out how many of them are still alive and   
  
what have been done to them. Jack, go up and contact the Kimera, as well as   
  
Zeke, from a secure location, all this limestone is interfering with   
  
transmission. The rest of you spread out and keep a look out for intruders. We   
  
don't want to have any surprises."   
  
  
  
The stunned expressions on every one's faces slowly faded to one of purpose as   
  
they were given something to do.   
  
  
  
In his own mind, Erik couldn't help wondering.   
  
  
  
How many other installations like this had the Taelons had?   
  
  
  
What was their purpose ?   
  
  
  
Erik was rarely afraid.   
  
  
  
But now he found himself terrified at the possibilities.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
A dark place   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Eternal darkness surrounded him on all sides.   
  
  
  
It was impossible to tell up from down, left from right.   
  
  
  
No feeling either..   
  
  
  
No lights, just a vast space of...nothing...   
  
  
  
He felt cold.   
  
  
  
So very cold.   
  
  
  
Confined.   
  
  
  
He had a name once.   
  
  
  
It was on his lips, but was whisked away again by some evil spirit as he tried   
  
to concentrate on it.   
  
  
  
Why couldn't he remember ?   
  
  
  
He struggled to regain consciousness, but failed time after time.   
  
  
  
It felt like something was forcing him back there, in the darkness.   
  
  
  
He no longer knew, how long he had been here.   
  
  
  
Neither did he care.   
  
  
  
He wanted out.   
  
  
  
He wanted out now !   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's quarters.   
  
"Larya"   
  
Enroute to Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam woke with a start as he felt a hand on his shoulder.   
  
  
  
Still caught up in his dreams, he lashed out at the person touching him, sending   
  
her backwards, hearing her hitting the floor with a soft thud.   
  
  
  
Her ?   
  
  
  
As he forced his eyes open, he slowly recognised his surroundings.   
  
  
  
He was about the "Larya".   
  
  
  
They were enroute to Earth to visit his grandparents.   
  
  
  
He was safe.   
  
  
  
And on the floor, looking slightly annoyed, was Anr'el, his Kimeran mentor and   
  
friend.   
  
  
  
"Anr'el ? What are you doing here ?"   
  
  
  
Sitting up on the bed, he reached out a hand and helped her up from the floor.   
  
  
  
"You where having a bad dream, and I felt it through the Commonality."   
  
  
  
Liam's face flushed red.   
  
  
  
Had they all ....   
  
  
  
Apparently Anr'el was picking up her old habit of reading his mind.   
  
A small smile appeared briefly on her face.   
  
  
  
"Don't worry, I was able to shield most of it out. No one else knows."   
  
  
  
Some of the tension eased out of Liam's frame.   
  
  
  
The smile on An'rel's face was replaced by one of worry.   
  
  
  
"Want to talk about it ?"   
  
  
  
She sat down on the bed next to Liam, putting one hand on his back and began   
  
slowly rubbing the tension she felt there out.   
  
  
  
He felt himself relax.   
  
  
  
After a small pause, he started out.   
  
  
  
"It starts off as the other ones. Me, the Man, the...the table.."   
  
  
  
Anr'el could see the ghosts pass through Liam's eyes as he remembered his   
  
nightmare, his pain.   
  
  
  
That bastard, who did this to him, had gotten of to easy in her opinion.   
  
  
  
It wasn't just the physical trauma, which had been easily mended.   
  
  
  
The invisible scars and pain in his mind would last for years, probably the rest   
  
of Liam's life.   
  
  
  
Hubble's little playmate had taken Liam's spirit and broken it, taken the last   
  
remnants of innocence from him in the process.   
  
  
  
Every curse, Anr'el could come up with went through her mind.   
  
  
  
She hoped, that he had ended up in the deepest, darkest recesses of whatever   
  
hell he believed in.   
  
  
  
She turned her concentration back to what Liam was telling as he took up his   
  
narrative again.   
  
  
  
"This time it changed though. Suddenly I was somewhere else, somewhere dark and   
  
confined..."   
  
  
  
"That was probably brought up by the sight of those stasis capsules."   
  
  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right. But it felt so REAL."   
  
  
  
Liam's confusion was evident, even to a non-Kimera.   
  
  
  
"I know. Maybe there was some memory from your father in there as well. Those   
  
can feel pretty real at times, you know."   
  
  
  
Liam just nodded, then a huge yawn made it self present.   
  
  
  
"Go to sleep, Liam. You need it."   
  
  
  
"Don't go away."   
  
  
  
"I won't."   
  
  
  
She pulled up a chair next to his bed and watched over him as he fell asleep.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona and Ambrose were finally about to be finished with the arrangements for   
  
Liam's arrival.   
  
  
  
Ambrose was in the basement, staring at the empty space, which where the only   
  
visible reminder of the cloaked Kimeran ID-portal, which where there.   
  
  
  
He had never trusted those things, had preferred to drive down to Belfast when   
  
visiting Siobhan in the Taelon embassy.   
  
  
  
There was just something unnatural about being transported that way.   
  
  
  
He could hear the phone ringing upstairs and Fiona going over to get it.   
  
  
  
Seconds later, he heard her angry voice yelling something.   
  
  
  
It shocked him.   
  
  
  
Fiona never yelled ?   
  
  
  
Hurriedly, he went upstairs.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Upstairs.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona was dusting off one of the silver framed photos of Siobhan for God-knows   
  
which time, as the phone rang.   
  
  
  
It surprised her.   
  
  
  
These days it was a rare occasion, when some one rang.   
  
  
  
"Fiona Beckett."   
  
"Mrs. Beckett, this is Rita Van Buren from the Herald Tribune."   
  
  
  
At this, Fiona almost hung up on the woman.   
  
  
  
She had had it with reporters.   
  
  
  
As if sensing, what she was up to, the woman, quickly continued.   
  
  
  
"Please, do not hang up. I just wish to have your comment on some rumours, which   
  
have been circulating lately, rumours that one Liam Kincaid, your grandson, is   
  
going to return to Earth shortly."   
  
  
  
Fiona was stunned.   
  
  
  
How had they found out ?   
  
  
  
At the prolonged silence, the annoying lady pressed her luck.   
  
  
  
"Mrs. Beckett, please, if you know anything, tell me. The people have right to   
  
know.."   
  
  
  
That was as far as she got, as Fiona's temper got the better of her.   
  
  
  
"The people ? THE PEOPLE ?! AFTER WHAT LIAM WENT THROUGH, BY YOUR HANDS AND   
  
EVERYONE ELSE'S AS WELL, DID YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE, THAT I WOULD TELL YOU, TELL   
  
ANYONE, EVEN IF LIAM WAS RETURNING ?"   
  
"Mrs. Beckett....Please listen, if we could just..."   
  
"NO ! YOU LISTEN TO ME ! Liam has been through hell, and I will NOT let ANYONE   
  
do him more damage ! Stay away !"   
  
  
  
The line went dead, as Fiona slammed the receiver down.   
  
  
  
Her whole body was trembling with rage, as she supported herself to the small   
  
table with her hands.   
  
  
  
Dear God.   
  
  
  
She hoped, that that was a one-time occurrence.   
  
  
  
It was just a coincidence.   
  
  
  
It had to be.   
  
  
  
She couldn't go through that again.   
  
  
  
It was in this position, that Ambrose found her when he came up from the   
  
basement.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Belfast Airport   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
She smiled coldly as she approached the local DI representative.   
  
  
  
Renee Palmer had arrived, and she was ready to do some damage.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
Denmark   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Jean was going over some weird readings from the two clones, they had been able   
  
to salvage out of this mess.   
  
  
  
Her teammates, now enforced with the ODK people, were still busy with the   
  
grizzly task off packing up the dead ones in body bags.   
  
  
  
After hours of work, they had finally been able to hack through the Taelon   
  
security protocols.   
  
  
  
It seemed as it had had something to do, not only with cloning, but also with   
  
mind transfer.   
  
  
  
And some sort of genetic altering.   
  
  
  
That was when a set of alarms went of.   
  
  
  
On of the clones was waking up.   
  
  
  
TBC...... 


	2. 2

-------------------------------------------------------   
  
Nightmares   
  
Chapter 2  
  
By   
  
Katja Boysen   
  
Denmark   
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen.   
  
-------   
  
Jean send out an impressive, and very loud, string of curses.   
  
  
  
This was NOT a good time.   
  
  
  
Despite the many hours, she had spend familiarising herself with the alien   
  
technology, she was still not certain, as to what to do about a waking clone.   
  
  
  
She would, in other words, have to improvise.   
  
  
  
Again.   
  
  
  
As if she hadn't done enough of that already during the occupation.   
  
  
  
The clone in the chamber went through a series of violent convulsions, as it   
  
fought the artificial sleep.   
  
  
  
Punching in what she hoped was the correct series of commands on the consol next   
  
to the chamber, she vaguely recognised a skrill on one of "his" arms, as it   
  
ripped loose from the restraints holding it and hit the side of the cover.   
  
  
  
She had no time to contemplate the implications of this, though, as a new set of   
  
alarms went of.   
  
  
  
Not only was the clone waking up, there was nothing she could do to prevent it.   
  
  
  
It, HE, would die, if she didn't do something.   
  
  
  
There was only one thing she could do.   
  
  
  
She send one final command through the consol and slowly the chamber opened.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Bridge   
  
"Larya"   
  
Enroute to Earth.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Lily sighed as she worked the controls of the ship.   
  
  
  
This interface was so...stiff in comparison to the one of the Taelon shuttles.   
  
  
  
But the new interface wasn't finished yet.   
  
  
  
Punching her hand through the data stream making it out for controls, she   
  
adjusted their course as they went through a series of irregularities, the id   
  
version of turbulence.   
  
  
  
One thing about this old ship though.   
  
  
  
Once the new interface was finished, this ship would be one of the most agile in   
  
the fleet.   
  
  
  
And Liam would be flying again.   
  
  
  
A small smile caught the edges of her mouth as she remembered the joy in his   
  
eyes, as he was allowed to fly the ship during take off.   
  
  
  
Of cause Guardian had been monitoring his every move, making sure, that nothing   
  
went wrong, but still.   
  
  
  
Liam had obviously missed it, the flying.   
  
  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?"   
  
  
  
Juliana approached her from one of the portals.   
  
  
  
"Guardian, take over."   
  
"Acknowledged. Initiating autopilot. Remaining time to goal: 10 hours and   
  
counting." A metallic voice answered, coming seemingly out of nowhere.   
  
  
  
Lily made a note to herself about having the voice altered.   
  
  
  
It's robot like quality grated on her nerves.   
  
  
  
The controls morphed into a series of mathematical forms and a map of their   
  
course to Earth.   
  
  
  
They were just passing Sirius.   
  
  
  
She opened her security harness and rose from the command chair.   
  
  
  
"So, what were you thinking about?" Juliana inquired.   
  
  
  
She had walked onto the bridge and found Lily looking completely lost to the   
  
world.   
  
  
  
"Oh, this and that. Mostly about Liam."   
  
  
  
A look of worry passed over her Jaridian*Human features.   
  
  
  
"Is he still having nightmares?"   
  
  
  
Juliana rubbed her eyes tiredly.   
  
  
  
"Yes. And they are getting stronger. I'm starting to wonder if returning to   
  
Earth was such a great idea after all."   
  
  
  
"He'll have to face it sooner or later, Juliana. And rather sooner."   
  
  
  
Juliana nodded.   
  
  
  
"I know, but it seems so hard."   
  
  
  
"You can't protect him from everything. And his grandparents will be there if   
  
things goes out of control. Not to mention, that we'll only be a portal away.   
  
Even Sandoval is here."   
  
  
  
There was no love lost between her and the former implant, but Lily had to   
  
admit, that the former protector had come through for Liam.   
  
  
  
"Speaking of Ron. Have you seen him or Augur around?"   
  
  
  
"Knowing Augur, I would try looking in the computer core. As for Sandoval, who   
  
knows?"   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The computer core   
  
"Larya"   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Lily was right.   
  
  
  
Augur WAS in the computer core.   
  
  
  
And so was, much to his own surprise, one Ronald Sandoval, leaning against the   
  
wall while trying to keep his amusement on the inside.   
  
  
  
The cyber wiz was trying to make one of the consoles run again after a small   
  
"accident" had fried a large amount of circuits.   
  
  
  
"Augur, when are you going to learn NOT to mess around with technology you don't   
  
understand?"   
  
  
  
Sandoval smirked as Augur send him a disgusted look.   
  
  
  
"Well, if I don't "mess" around with it, how am I to find out how it works?   
  
Ouch! Christ.."   
  
  
  
Augur jumped back, muttering curses as he unwittingly touched a still   
  
electrified wire.   
  
  
  
"By asking ?"   
  
"Ha ha, very funny !"   
  
"Well, you have to admit, it would save you a lot of trouble."   
  
"And where's the fun in that ?"   
  
  
  
Augur walked over to another, still functional, terminal.   
  
  
  
"Guardian, bring up the terminal schematics again."   
  
  
  
Sandoval watched Augur go over the blueprints for a couple of seconds, then lost   
  
his patience and decided to come down to business.   
  
  
  
"What did you want to talk to me about ?"   
  
  
  
"Liam."   
  
"Oh. What about him ?"   
  
  
  
Augur abandoned his schematics, straightened up and looked straight at Sandoval.   
  
  
  
"Nothing much. Just don't hurt the kid or I'll rip out your spine and use it for   
  
a toothpick. "   
  
  
  
The silent and dead serious tone in Augurs normally animated voice sent a shiver   
  
down Sandoval's spine.   
  
  
  
But before he could open his mouth to defend himself, Augur waved a hand in   
  
dismissal.   
  
  
  
"I know, that you have done a lot for him these last couple of months, but that   
  
doesn't make up for the fact that you have the power of hurting him the most.   
  
Remember that, and we'll probably all be friends for a very long time."   
  
  
  
Sandoval was slightly taken aback by the unveiled threat in Augurs voice.   
  
  
  
"I would never hurt him on purpose. You know that."   
  
  
  
It came quietly, honestly.   
  
  
  
"I know you say that now. Just don't forget those words anytime soon, ok ?"   
  
  
  
Sandoval frustrated ran a hand through his hair.   
  
  
  
He had expected this for some time now.   
  
  
  
Had expected this to happen for quite some time now.   
  
  
  
They didn't trust him.   
  
  
  
He couldn't blame them.   
  
  
  
Not after what he had done.   
  
  
  
But it still hurt like hell.   
  
  
  
And as time had passed by, he had hoped as well.   
  
  
  
But there was only one way of dealing with it.   
  
  
  
The same way they were dealing with Liam's recovery.   
  
  
  
One step at the time.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Renee Palmer was watching the Beckett couple from a distance.   
  
  
  
Ok, the thing about calling the press hadn't worked out completely to her   
  
advantage, but if she could get proof, then maybe things would turn out to her   
  
benefit after all.   
  
  
  
A few rumours here, a few half-truths there and Voila, instant revenge.   
  
  
  
Of cause, she could have no obvious part in it, after all, she was the President   
  
of Doors international and supposedly above this kind of thing.   
  
  
  
The cold smile returned.   
  
  
  
This was going to be fun.   
  
  
  
A couple of hundred meters away, Fiona stiffened and looked around suspiciously.   
  
  
  
"Fiona ? What's wrong ?"   
  
  
  
A sigh.   
  
  
  
"Nothing, just felt like someone walking over my grave."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
CNN offices.   
  
Washington DC   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Another dead end.   
  
  
  
Abby was frustrated.   
  
  
  
Palmer had seemingly disappeared from the face of the Earth.   
  
  
  
A couple of plane tickets invaded her line of vision as her boss threw them her   
  
computer keyboard.   
  
  
  
She picked one up.   
  
  
  
"Ireland ?! What the hell is in Ireland ?" Her annoyance shone through clearly   
  
in her voice.   
  
  
  
"The Becketts." Her boss answered nonplussed.   
  
  
  
"One of our informants from the Herald Tribune snatched up a rumour, that Liam   
  
Kincaid is returning to Earth. They didn't pay much attention to it. We will."   
  
  
  
"What will our angle on this be ?" Abby asked suspiciously, not wanting to   
  
participate in anything, which would get her friend in trouble.   
  
  
  
"I'll leave that up to you." He pointed a warning finger in her face " Just   
  
doesn't overdo it !"   
  
  
  
To be truthful, he had reviewed some of the stuff, they had run during Kincaid's   
  
fall from grace, and felt more than a little guilty.   
  
  
  
Which was also why he put Abby on the story.   
  
  
  
He was very aware of her relationship with the man and hoped, that they could   
  
somehow make it up to him, or at least his family.   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
------   
  
  
  
Jean watched the results on her monitor.   
  
  
  
The man on the table was stabilised.   
  
  
  
It had been a harried few hours.   
  
  
  
They had almost lost him twice already, only the grace of the Gods had pulled   
  
him through that last one.   
  
  
  
"Jean ?"   
  
"Hi Erik."   
  
"How is he ?"   
  
"Stabile, should be waking up any moment now."   
  
  
  
She rubbed her neck tiredly.   
  
  
  
"I just wish that some of the Taelon Medical stuff had survived. At this point,   
  
I've only got a vague idea of what they have done to him."   
  
  
  
"Maybe the Kimera can help ?"   
  
  
  
She send him a smile.   
  
  
  
"Maybe. Could you contact them ?"   
  
He send her a crocked smile, then caught her hand and placed a gentle kiss on   
  
it.   
  
"For you, anything my lady."   
  
"Ham."   
  
  
  
As the couple continued to banter, none of them noticed that Boone had woken up   
  
and heard the entire thing.   
  
  
  
Nor did they notice how his skrill started to glow as he slowly raised his arm.   
  
  
  
And in the farthest recesses of his mind, all the former Commander could do was   
  
scream as his CVI took over.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Quarters   
  
"Larya"   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Anr'el was pulled out of her restful sleep abruptly as a scream erupted from   
  
Liam's lips.   
  
  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!"   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Later, Erik was never able to discover exactly WHAT had warned him.   
  
  
  
A shadow?   
  
  
  
A Sound?   
  
  
  
All he knew was, that if he hadn't turned around that instance, both he and Jean   
  
would have been dead.   
  
  
  
As it was, he barely had time to throw them both out of the line of fire, as   
  
Boone, or who ever he was, fired his skrill at the exact spot, where they had   
  
both been standing.   
  
  
  
In his mind, Boone kept screaming silently, cursing at every deity he could   
  
thing of.   
  
  
  
This couldn't be happening !   
  
  
  
He needed to get back in control before more people got hurt.   
  
  
  
As the noise of running people reached him, his CVI-controlled body drew upon   
  
his military memories and disappeared into a nearby tunnel.   
  
  
  
After all, why fight a battle, when you are bound to loose it?   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Quarters   
  
The "Larya"   
  
Enroute to Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam's heart pounded as fear slowly left him.   
  
  
  
As reality returned step-by-step, he became aware of the woman next to him,   
  
Anr'el, trying to calm him down.   
  
  
  
"Calm, you are safe."   
  
  
  
Taking a deep, cleansing breath and listening to her soothing voice, he slowly   
  
managed to get his mind out of the hurricane of terror, which had caught him so   
  
unprepared.   
  
  
  
Normally Anr'el presence was enough to keep him from dreaming like this, but   
  
something about this dream had been vastly different.   
  
  
  
Anchoring himself in the feeling of a hand rubbing circles on his back, he   
  
finally allowed himself to think about the dream again.   
  
  
  
This time, it had skipped the part about the Man and the Room completely and   
  
entered straight into something else.   
  
  
  
A feeling of being trapped.   
  
  
  
Of being forced to do things against his will.   
  
  
  
Weird flashes of a cave.   
  
  
  
Trying to kill people, he was fairly certain was friends, even though he had   
  
never seen them before.   
  
  
  
And the Terror.   
  
  
  
A scream of anguish.   
  
  
  
A living hell.   
  
  
  
The scream was what had waken him up, finally.   
  
  
  
Liam took another deep breath, then focused his eyes on his friend.   
  
  
  
"I'm OK now."   
  
  
  
He smiled sheepishly.   
  
  
  
"Sorry for waking you up."   
  
  
  
"It's OK. I was going to get up anyhow. There's some stuff I need to do at the   
  
bridge."   
  
  
  
Anr'el send him what she hoped was a reassuring grin, while resting her hand on   
  
his shoulder.   
  
  
  
His screaming had waking her up only seconds earlier.   
  
  
  
"Want to talk about it ?"   
  
  
  
Liam thought about it.   
  
  
  
He could feel An'rel's worry, even though she tried to hide it.   
  
  
  
She had already done so much for him, she and his Family, as he had come to call   
  
the makeshift bunch of people now surrounding him.   
  
  
  
And now this.   
  
  
  
"Nah, it's ok, just a dream."   
  
  
  
Anr'el send him a suspicious look.   
  
  
  
"Sure ?"   
  
  
  
Mustering up the last remnants of confidence, he forced a smile.   
  
  
  
"Completely."   
  
  
  
She didn't believe him, but if he didn't want to talk, there was no way she   
  
could force him, not without resorting to methods of a kind which was against   
  
everything she believed in.   
  
  
  
A soft sigh escaped her, as she tucked him in again.   
  
  
  
Brushing some damp hair from his forehead, she then, as on an afterthought   
  
continued.   
  
  
  
"You might feel better, if you tell me about it ?"   
  
  
  
There was an unspoken question in her voice.   
  
  
  
His smile faltered a little, as he thought it over.   
  
  
  
Maybe he should...Then he remembered all the things this amazing creature had   
  
already done for him and his resolve returned.   
  
  
  
No, this he had to deal with for himself.   
  
  
  
He wouldn't turn another one of his burdens over on her.   
  
  
  
" No, it's Ok, I'll be fine."   
  
  
  
Acknowledging a lost battle, when she saw it, Anr'el let it pass for now.   
  
  
  
"You know, where to find me if you change your mind Liam."   
  
  
  
Another small smile, then he tapped his head.   
  
  
  
"Right in here."   
  
  
  
She gave a small laugh, then settled back in her chair for a while, watching his   
  
eyes glaze over with sleep and finally slide shut.   
  
  
  
Silently making her way to the doorway, she looked back one last time, to make   
  
sure he was still asleep.   
  
  
  
"One of these day, you'll have to talk about it, Little One."   
  
  
  
Turning around again, she made her way to the bridge.   
  
  
  
"Guardian, Lights out."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Rene' had booked a room at a small inn.   
  
  
  
It was, what most people would have considered a romantic little in, complete   
  
with straw covered roof, a pub*restaurant and a nice elderly couple tending to   
  
it.   
  
  
  
But to Rene' it was only an annoyance.   
  
  
  
Here she was, the president of Doors International, and she had to put up with   
  
these hicks.   
  
  
  
But then she remembered her little revenge plot and that cruel smile made it   
  
back on her lips.   
  
  
  
Schooling her face carefully, she entered the restaurant area.   
  
  
  
"Good evening. Ms. Palmer. What can we do for you tonight ?" The elderly woman,   
  
Meg, greeted her from the bar.   
  
  
  
"Well, I am getting kind of hungry." Putting on her best front, Rene' approached   
  
Meg, trying to look as friendly as possible.   
  
  
  
"Well, we got the days special, a steak with chips, potatoes and the rest of the   
  
show, or what about a nice chicken soup with noodles ?"   
  
  
  
Rene' groaned inwardly.   
  
  
  
Of cause this WAS farmland and out where the crows fly backwards, but couldn't   
  
these people at least TRY to have something civilised on the menu.   
  
  
  
Wasn't it enough, she had to put up with the SMELL ?   
  
  
  
Outwardly, however, she kept up her facade.   
  
  
  
"The special sounds good."   
  
  
  
"HENRY !!!!!"   
  
  
  
Meg's voice cut through the air like a razor, making Rene' wince with its   
  
volume.   
  
  
  
"Yes dear ?" A timid voice answered from the kitchen area.   
  
  
  
"One special for Ms. Palmer."   
  
"Yes dear."   
  
  
  
While they waited for her order, Rene' decided, that it was perhaps a good idea   
  
to start her little plan.   
  
  
  
Meg was as far as she knew, as big a busybody as anyone.   
  
  
  
"You know, I almost didn't come here, I mean to Strandhill, at all."   
  
  
  
Rene' send Meg a hesitant smile.   
  
  
  
"Oh, why not dear "   
  
  
  
Meg's confusion was obvious.   
  
  
  
"Well, I heard that that alien Liam Kincaid have family around here and after   
  
all the things he did in Washington...Well...I'm not one to run with gossip, but   
  
I could tell you things that would make your head spin."   
  
  
  
"Oh ?" Meg's interest was firmly caught.   
  
  
  
"Well, you wont tell anyone, will you ?"   
  
  
  
At Megs shake, Rene' leaned closer.   
  
  
  
"Well, there was this time when....."   
  
  
  
And as she spun her lies, Rene' couldn't help but laugh on the inside.   
  
  
  
Liam wouldn't get away this time.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The "Jira"   
  
Orbiting Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
"Sir, there's a message from Bettis."   
  
  
  
Ca'el waved his data stream open.   
  
  
  
At least SOMETHING interesting was happening now.   
  
  
  
In the month, since he had been in command of this ship, due to an accommodation   
  
of An'rel's, absolutely NOTHING had happened.   
  
  
  
And he was getting bored.   
  
  
  
"Bettis, what may I do for you ?"   
  
  
  
A genuine smile spread on Ca'el's face as he saw the other   
  
man.   
  
  
  
This human had helped rescue Liam.   
  
  
  
And had turned out to be a true friend as well.   
  
  
  
"Well, we've located the disturbance you asked us to investigate, it originates   
  
from some sort of Taelon cloning facility. We could really use some help in   
  
finding out what happened here ?"   
  
  
  
"I'll have a team on its way immediately. We'll use the portal in the liberation   
  
headquarters."   
  
  
  
"Thank You."   
  
  
  
"Not a problem."   
  
  
  
As the connection died, Ca'el smirked.   
  
  
  
"Yon'el, you have the bridge. I have an away team to lead."   
  
"But sir, protocol..."   
  
  
  
Yon'el's protest fell on deaf ears as Ca'el left the bridge.   
  
  
  
Yes, finally, something was happening.   
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
Zeke stalked the tunnels warily.   
  
  
  
Boone, or rather his clone, was no easy prey.   
  
  
  
From what that resistance doctor, Jean, had been able to find out so far, the   
  
Taelons had found a way to copy one's memories, even soul it seemed, from one   
  
body to the next.   
  
  
  
Remembering the cases during the occupation with the pad'ar warriors and the   
  
bio-surrogates, he figured this was some sort of experiment to go further.   
  
  
  
But what did it mean when concerning this man, they were now hunting ?   
  
  
  
He would most probably have all of his memories, including those from his black   
  
ops days, and that made him a very dangerous adversary.   
  
  
  
Boone had been one of the best, had almost been asked to join the ODK team, but   
  
then he had married Kate.   
  
  
  
Jean had also said something about genetic alterations, but she hadn't been able   
  
to go into specifics, lacking the equipment to do a more exact analysis.   
  
  
  
And then there was the matter of the unprovoked attack.   
  
  
  
That just didn't sound like Will.   
  
  
  
But with all the dirty tricks the Taelons had pulled, who could know, what they   
  
had done to his mind.   
  
  
  
They really couldn't know, not until the Kimera had had a chance to examine him.   
  
  
  
And to do that, they would have to capture him first, preferably alive.   
  
  
  
Zeke stiffened and then fell back into the shadows, as he heard a sound, like   
  
falling pebbles, up ahead.   
  
  
  
Now was really NOT a good time to fall into thoughts about the past.   
  
  
  
Because as much as he respected Boone, and as much as he owed him his life   
  
several times over, he wasn't going to let the other man kill him.   
  
  
  
Altering his grip on his rifle, Zeke became one with the shadows as he stalked   
  
the man he had once called "Friend".   
  
  
  
A few hundred meters up front, Boone's body stumbled again.   
  
  
  
Without the active participation of his mind, his CVI couldn't move with the   
  
grace, which normally was such a big part of his persona.   
  
  
  
That gave him hope.   
  
  
  
If he could somehow keep up his struggles, then maybe, he could gain enough   
  
control back to make a difference, when it mattered.   
  
  
  
He could also feel a growing rage.   
  
  
  
How could Da'an have allowed this ?   
  
  
  
He trusted him !   
  
  
  
The last thing he remembered was being put in that blue tank after his fight   
  
with Hag'el.   
  
  
  
That, and some fussy memories of facing a tall, lanky man on the bridge of the   
  
mother ship.   
  
  
  
"This is not right..."   
  
  
  
Da'an's voice.   
  
  
  
But when ?   
  
  
  
A name.   
  
  
  
Lazarus.   
  
  
  
Memories, to diffuse to distinguish or to make sense flew past his inner eye as   
  
he fought the special programming of THIS CVI.   
  
  
  
This was what he had feared, when Doors and dr. Belman first approached him.   
  
  
  
This loss of control.   
  
  
  
But there was something different.   
  
  
  
Sandoval had always been there 100%, even with the CVI, not fighting it.   
  
  
  
What was different ?   
  
  
  
And as Boone fought for control, Zeke started to close in.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liberation HQ   
  
Denmark   
  
-------   
  
  
  
The Portal flared to life with a bright flash, spitting out a small group of   
  
Kimera from ID-space.   
  
  
  
Ca'el quickly took inventory of the church loft, wondering what human saw in a   
  
church, which made them seemingly always put up their refuges at this kind of   
  
places in their time of need.   
  
  
  
Granted, he had only been to two places like this...   
  
  
  
"Ca'el"   
  
  
  
Bettis approached him.   
  
  
  
"Bettis, how are you my friend ?"   
  
  
  
Calling on some memories from his last human host, he remembered to stretch out   
  
his hand for a handshake.   
  
  
  
While in Rome...   
  
  
  
"Fine, but a small problem has arisen since our last conversation."   
  
  
  
Bettis looked, and sounded, worried.   
  
  
  
He continued.   
  
  
  
"One of the remaining two clones woke up and are currently being chased though   
  
the underground maze, where we found the facility. And we don't know exactly   
  
WHAT we are dealing with here, so I hope you people brought some medical   
  
scanners with you."   
  
  
  
At Ca'el's affirmative nod, Bettis lead him towards the exit.   
  
  
  
"Good. I'll explain on the way."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Bridge   
  
"Larya"   
  
Enroute to Earth.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
It was An'rel's turn at the con.   
  
  
  
The "Larya", being equipped with an AI, only demanded a small crew, and she and   
  
Lily both enjoyed flying intensely, so they had agreed to being the pilots on   
  
this small outing.   
  
  
  
And the peace and quiet during the nightshift allowed her to do some serious   
  
thinking.   
  
  
  
Despite all of her own experiences during the Taelon*Kimeran war, she found   
  
herself at a loss at how to help Liam with his problems.   
  
  
  
But he needed help.   
  
  
  
And she was the only one who could give it.   
  
  
  
Or so the Council said.   
  
  
  
She was seriously starting to question the validation of that decision.   
  
  
  
Through the previous months, from when they had rescued him out of that   
  
Hellhole, he had seemed to cope with the entire thing, had shown a resilience,   
  
which had amazed everyone, even Juliana and Lily, who had known him all his   
  
life.   
  
  
  
Even with the nightmares, he had somehow managed to convince them all, that he   
  
was ok.   
  
  
  
And no one had questioned him.   
  
  
  
Not until now.   
  
  
  
She couldn't help but feeling, that he was, once again, putting up a front, that   
  
he gave them what he thought they wanted.   
  
  
  
If she could only get him to open up.   
  
  
  
The last couple of training sessions before going to Earth, she had noticed a   
  
part of his mind with what in the real world would be a big sign screaming "No   
  
Access !" on it.   
  
  
  
She hadn't wanted to push him, but now...Now she couldn't help but feeling, that   
  
whatever was behind that wall of denial, could be the key to it all.   
  
  
  
And that was when Liam's mind suddenly screamed out in terror, grapping onto   
  
hers by instinct as yet another nightmare invaded his sleep.   
  
  
  
Caught by surprise, she felt herself sliding from one reality to the next.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Ambrose pulled over the car, as he and Fiona returned from getting yet another   
  
"We-really-need-this-for-Liam" item.   
  
  
  
This time they had to go to Belfast as well as making a small beeline to the   
  
local store.   
  
  
  
That last stop hadn't been a pleasant one.   
  
  
  
They had both noticed the strange stares and whispering behind their backs as   
  
well as the downright hostile behaviour of the clerk.   
  
  
  
Not noticing where he was going, his vision obscured by the mountain of bags   
  
with "Absolutely necessary" things he was carrying, he didn't notice Fiona's   
  
sudden stop as she walked up to the main door, and almost knocked her over.   
  
  
  
She had gone completely white in the face.   
  
  
  
"Why don't you.."He started to complain as he noticed the...Thing..., which had   
  
stopped Fiona dead in her tracks.   
  
  
  
It was a black swarzsticker freshly painted on their front door.   
  
  
  
In a parked car, not far away from there, Renee' Palmer allowed herself a small,   
  
cruel smile.   
  
  
  
It had begun.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Mind   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Anr'el had her breath knocked out of her, mentally, as she impacted with the   
  
hard floor.   
  
  
  
The darkness around her was impenetrable.   
  
  
  
A feeling of pain and misery seemed to be in the very air of the place.   
  
  
  
"Ok, you've somehow got sucked into Liam's nightmare. Now how do you get out of   
  
here ?"   
  
She wondered out loud.   
  
  
  
"You don't."   
  
  
  
She whirled around to see Liam, sitting at the floor with his back against the   
  
wall, hugging his knees and starring lost at a steel table, stained with the   
  
dark red of blood.   
  
  
  
Carefully she approached him.   
  
  
  
"Why not "   
  
  
  
Those eyes.   
  
  
  
No hope in them at all.   
  
  
  
"Because there's no escape. "   
  
  
  
So final those words seemed.   
  
  
  
So lost.   
  
  
  
"Liam...."   
  
  
  
She carefully moved over, slowly as not to frighten the Child, and put her hand   
  
on his shoulder.   
  
  
  
"Liam, there's always a way out."   
  
  
  
She tried to sound confident, but wasn't having much success.   
  
  
  
Suddenly the surroundings changed.   
  
  
  
She was trapped in a stasis capsule and pure, unthinking panic washed over her.   
  
  
  
A cacophony of feelings not her own threatened to drown her, drag her into the   
  
abyss along with Liam.   
  
  
  
She didn't care about herself anymore.   
  
  
  
She had already seen to many millennia to really care.   
  
  
  
But Liam.   
  
  
  
He was to young to loose like this.   
  
  
  
She barely deflected the onslaught on her mind, grabbing hold of Liam and fought   
  
to get them both out of there.   
  
  
  
She managed to get the situation somewhat under control and became aware of   
  
another presence in Liam's mind.   
  
  
  
Male.   
  
  
  
That signature was definitely male.   
  
  
  
And not Kimera.   
  
  
  
"GET OUT OF LIAM'S MIND RIGHT NOW !!!"   
  
  
  
With a roar of anger, she attacked the Other, not really caring who he was, just   
  
knowing instantly that here, this, was the reason of this weird twist of things.   
  
  
  
"GET OUT !"   
  
  
  
Then there was a blinding light as she felt the other consciousness loose its   
  
grip on Liam.   
  
  
  
And she saw no more.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Boone felt an agonizing pain in his head.   
  
  
  
"GET OUT !"   
  
  
  
His own voice,, coarse with not being used, startled him.   
  
  
  
Where had that come from ?   
  
  
  
But at least he felt his CVI finally weakening.   
  
  
  
Encouraged, he renewed his assault on the alien mechanism's mind control.   
  
  
  
Distracted by this internal battle, Boone failed to notice that Zeke had finally   
  
caught up with him.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Main Cave   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Jean cursed.   
  
  
  
There were some weird fluctuations in the last stasis capsule.   
  
  
  
So far she had been able to keep it stable, but   
  
for how much longer ?   
  
  
  
A deep frown made an appearance.   
  
  
  
It seemed like some sort of data transmission, but directly into the clone's   
  
brain ?   
  
  
  
And what was the receiver ?   
  
  
  
And why ?   
  
  
  
"Jean !"   
  
  
  
Bettis's voice cut into her train of thoughts, bringing her back to reality.   
  
  
  
"Bettis. Did you...Oh, hello."   
  
  
  
First now, she noticed the small group of strangers standing next to Bettis.   
  
  
  
One of the strangers moved, and she found herself staring into a familiar face.   
  
  
  
"Greetings Doctor. I am Ca'el."   
  
  
  
A slender, dark haired man looking like a complete double of Keanu Reeves   
  
stretched out his hand in greeting.   
  
  
  
Jean almost felt her mouth drop.   
  
  
  
The Kimera.   
  
  
  
She had forgotten about their ability to change shape.   
  
  
  
"It's an honour to finally meet you face to face."   
  
  
  
A little unnerved, she grasped his hand, finally remembering her manners.   
  
  
  
"Eh..Ca'el ? Next time, you might want to choose someone a little   
  
less...famous... as a host. And please, call me Jean."   
  
  
  
"Agreed on both counts, Jean. It is quit frightening how many people seem to   
  
accumulate around this person. Especially when you try to be invisible. "   
  
  
  
Ca'el smiled crookedly at her.   
  
  
  
Well, at least this was one alien with humour.   
  
  
  
Ca'el was making a quick assessment of his own.   
  
  
  
This woman might have been surprised, but she still managed to function.   
  
  
  
She reminded him of Street in some ways.   
  
  
  
Or what Street would one day become.   
  
  
  
"Bettis said, that you have discovered some clones ?"   
  
  
  
Better get down to business before his mind wandered to more pleasurable things.   
  
  
  
Jean sighed inwardly.   
  
  
  
"Yes. This way please."   
  
  
  
Running over the displays on the capsule, Ca'el frowned deeply.   
  
  
  
It seemed like the Taelons had been up to some of their old tricks again.   
  
  
  
"Look at this."   
  
  
  
Jean pointed at the display with the transmission.   
  
  
  
"Looks like some sort of transmission to me. Ever seen anything like this before   
  
?"   
  
  
  
Ca'el closed his eyes, loosing his facade as some of his ancestral memories   
  
bubbled up, dragging along with them ancient pain.   
  
  
  
To Jean, this was most frightening.   
  
  
  
She knew from the tales of Zeke and the others, that the Kimera could maintain   
  
their facades in almost every situation.   
  
  
  
"Ca'el ? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."   
  
  
  
Hesitantly, she reached out to him, placing her hand on his "shoulder".   
  
  
  
The touch brought him back from the memories.   
  
  
  
"It is quite Ok, Jean. I was just remembering something from a long time ago.   
  
Something, which happened to one of my ancestors."   
  
  
  
Taking a deep breath while rebuilding his facade, he concentrated on finding the   
  
correct words in Earth's English.   
  
  
  
"During the Taelon-Kimera war, the Taelons captured and experimented on our   
  
children. Most of them died after going through hell, as you humans would put   
  
it. Some, however, were rescued. One of my ancestors was one of these children."   
  
  
  
He turned his head to look straight at her.   
  
  
  
"She was barely sane, when she was rescued. You see, the Taelons had tried to   
  
force another mind into her body, tried to erase her own personality, her very   
  
soul, while doing it."   
  
  
  
Jean blanched at the prospect of doing something so utterly evil.   
  
  
  
"Why ? Why would anyone think of doing something like that to a child ?"   
  
  
  
Ca'el gave a bitter laugh.   
  
  
  
"The usual. They would, once the method had been perfected by experimentation,   
  
have transferred some of their own into the bodies of Kimera's then used these   
  
Taelon inhabited bodies to procreate, mixing their gene pool with ours. Even   
  
then, they didn't conceive enough children to keep a constant populous and it   
  
was their hope that our genes would correct that."   
  
  
  
He snorted, then looked down at the barely visible figure in the capsule.   
  
  
  
"Off cause, once the Kimeran bodies had served their purpose, they would have   
  
been "dealt" with. You want to know the most ironic thing about all this ?"   
  
  
  
He shot her a glance, then continued as she nodded.   
  
  
  
"If it hadn't been for the war, the Kimera would probably have been able to help   
  
them solve their little problem. You see, we have been there as well. Not   
  
conceiving enough children, I mean."   
  
  
  
There was a moment of silence as the echo of Ca'el's voice died down in the   
  
cave.   
  
  
  
Jean cleared her throat.   
  
  
  
"So, are you telling me, that some Taelon is about to download itself into   
  
Boone's clone and use it to create children ?"   
  
  
  
"No. First of all, the human brain is incapable of sustaining a Taelon   
  
consciousness for a long enough period of time to fulfil this purpose.   
  
Second of all, the human body would have to be female and carry the child, since   
  
no Taelon is capable of bearing a human*Taelon hybrid to term.   
  
There are simply too much of a difference between the matter based child and the   
  
energy based Taelon carrying it.   
  
  
  
Besides, all intelligence we have, point in the direction of the Taelons wanting   
  
to use the human race as cannon fodder in their war with the Jaridians, not for   
  
procreation."   
  
  
  
A shiver went down Jean's spine at the calm voice this was said in.   
  
  
  
She had always known, that there was something rotten about the Taelons, but the   
  
facts, and they were facts she was certain, that she had been served these last   
  
couple of minutes, was worse than anything she could have come up with in even   
  
her wildest imagination.   
  
  
  
The resistance had always suspected, that the Taelons didn't care if humanity   
  
lived or died, but still...   
  
  
  
There was a huge difference between guessing and knowing.   
  
  
  
Bettis jumped in.   
  
  
  
"If it's not a Taelon, then what is going on here ?"   
  
  
  
"My guess is, that the Taelons found a way to download a human mind into a   
  
clone's body, that way they could utilise the knowledge and experiences of that   
  
person time after time after time in their sordid little war."   
  
  
  
"Yeah..They did something like that with the Pad'ar warriors. They downloaded   
  
the minds of some old people into a new, artificial body."   
  
  
  
Bettis frowned.   
  
  
  
He didn't like the prospect of dying only to wake up and having to die again.   
  
  
  
Which led to his next question.   
  
  
  
"But wouldn't the warriors at some point simply stop fighting ?"   
  
  
  
"Not if they had a CVI. It would simply force them to do as their masters   
  
commanded. They wouldn't have a choice."   
  
  
  
A thought occurred to Jean.   
  
  
  
"A CVI. ..I wonder...Ca'el, I need a medical scanner. Did you..."   
  
  
  
Ca'el grinned and motioned for one of the other Kimera to step forward.   
  
  
  
"What are we looking for, Doc ?"   
  
  
  
"I'm not sure...I'll know when I see it..."   
  
  
  
Absentmindly she started scanning the body in the capsule, concentrating on the   
  
head area.   
  
  
  
Ca'el, watching over her shoulder, suddenly noticed something.   
  
  
  
"Jean, could you bring up the DNA profile again ?"   
  
  
  
The result left them both in stupor.   
  
  
  
"Oh my God. He's part Kimera...."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The residence of the Becketts   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona was standing at her window, not noticing the splendid day on the other   
  
side of the glass.   
  
  
  
Why now ?   
  
  
  
Why would something like this happen now ?   
  
  
  
She had hoped, that once the reporters had left them alone, the rest of the   
  
world would soon forget them as well.   
  
  
  
A hundred day and all that.   
  
  
  
But apparently not.   
  
  
  
She sighed, then returned to her kitchen.   
  
  
  
It had taken the better of two hours to clean of the swastika from their front   
  
door.   
  
  
  
At least they hadn't broken any windows yet.   
  
  
  
She was eerily reminded of the many fights years before between the Catholics   
  
and the Protestants of Ireland.   
  
  
  
Even then, she had wondered why her fellow humans could not just accept, that   
  
there was people, who was different and move on.   
  
  
  
There were so many other things, which was more important than race, skin colour   
  
or religion.   
  
  
  
Ambrose entered the kitchen with his arms full of freshly chopped wood.   
  
  
  
He had his own way of dealing with the anger.   
  
  
  
"Where do you want this ?"   
  
"Put it next to the fireplace, dear."   
  
  
  
Catching his eyes, a silent vow was exchanged between the two people.   
  
  
  
They wouldn't let these people drag them into the mud with them.   
  
  
  
She felt lucky knowing, that what ever happened, he would be there.   
  
  
  
And so did he.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Inn   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Renée was at her best.   
  
  
  
These people were more stupid than she had realised upon arrival.   
  
  
  
They were soaking her "innocent" stories up.   
  
  
  
Just speak a little to their dark sides, play on their fears, mixed it up with   
  
their prejudices, disguise it as the talk of a concerned citizen and Voila.   
  
  
  
Soon these people would believe that even the old people were aliens, just by   
  
association.   
  
  
  
Now all she needed was some sort of event to heat things even more up, and Liam   
  
and his darling grandparents would be ancient history.   
  
  
  
Some days, it was good to be her.   
  
  
  
TBC....... 


	3. 3

-------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
Nightmares   
  
Chapter 3   
  
By   
  
Katja Boysen   
  
Denmark   
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
-------   
  
Bridge   
  
The "Larya"   
  
-------   
  
Lily was getting worried.   
  
  
  
She had heard a scream from the bridge, but when she arrived there, there was no   
  
one to be seen.   
  
  
  
And no one was piloting the ship.   
  
  
  
"Guardian, engage autopilot, destination   
  
Earth."   
  
"Autopilot engaged. Starting course corrections. Destination will be reached in   
  
t -8 hours."   
  
  
  
The cold, metallic voice of the ships AI boomed out from the wall, and Lily was   
  
now more than worried.   
  
  
  
Course corrections meant that the ship had been without a pilot for quite a   
  
while.   
  
  
  
Where was Anr'el ?   
  
  
  
This was not like her.   
  
  
  
"Guardian, locate Commander Anr'el"   
  
"The Commander is currently approaching the shuttle deck via the maintenance   
  
tunnels on habitation deck 12."   
  
  
  
Deck 12? That was Liam's deck, so that could be part of the explanation.   
  
  
  
But why the maintenance tunnels ?   
  
  
  
Picking up a jog, Lily started in the direction of the habitation deck, a   
  
feeling of dread slowly spreading in her body.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Zeke carefully approached his former commander and friend after having watched   
  
him just stand there for a few minutes.   
  
  
  
He hadn't heard any more outbursts from him.   
  
  
  
How to best deal with this ?   
  
  
  
Boone was obviously fighting the CVI, but how much control did he have ?   
  
  
  
He really didn't want to harm Boone, but if Will attacked him, he would have no   
  
choice.   
  
  
  
The man was after all, friend or no friend, armed with a skrill.   
  
  
  
But soon after the decision was taken out of his hands as his prey doubled over,   
  
falling to the floor in a series of violent convulsions.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Boone's Mind   
  
5 minutes ago   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Everything was dark, had been for quite a while.   
  
  
  
Had it always been as dark ?   
  
  
  
He tried to remember if there had been another state of mind, but in vain.   
  
  
  
A fussy memory of being in a cave, fighting for something...Control ?...,   
  
briefly crossed his mind, soon to be forgotten.   
  
  
  
When his vision had finally cleared, he found himself in a strange place,   
  
surrounded by strange machinery.   
  
  
  
Even the dampened lights of this place hurt his eyes.   
  
  
  
He did the only thing he could and hid in the darkest spot he could find.   
  
  
  
His body didn't react the way it was supposed to.   
  
  
  
Something was very, very wrong.....   
  
  
  
He needed to get away.   
  
  
  
Shuttle...   
  
  
  
The word invaded his mind.   
  
  
  
A shuttle, he needed one of those.   
  
  
  
Relying on instinct to keep him out of trouble, he started to crawl.   
  
  
  
------   
  
Liam's quarters   
  
Now.   
  
------   
  
  
  
He looked into the mirror after splashing water in his face.   
  
  
  
What a sight !   
  
  
  
Sweat drenched hair, puffy red-rimmed eyes.   
  
  
  
And he was shaking.   
  
  
  
That last dream had been a killer.   
  
  
  
He needed Anr'el.   
  
  
  
She would make it right.   
  
  
  
She kept the demons at bay.   
  
  
  
But first he needed control.   
  
  
  
He couldn't let them know, he still wasn't getting better.   
  
  
  
They would only get worried.   
  
  
  
And he had caused enough bother as it was.   
  
  
  
But something told him, he didn't fool them one bit.   
  
  
  
Abandoning his towel on a chair, Liam went to search for Anr'el.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
An'rel's mind   
  
Now   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Consciousness was slowly returning.   
  
  
  
Pain.   
  
  
  
Aching joints.   
  
  
  
And a weird doubleness in her mind.   
  
  
  
What was wrong with this picture ?   
  
  
  
Control eluded her as she spun into darkness again.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Ca'el was getting impressed with the versatile use of earthly languages that the   
  
Doctor was presenting him with.   
  
  
  
Granted, most of it was not what he would call polite, but still..   
  
  
  
Quite impressing.   
  
  
  
Quickly moving a couple of steps backwards as the whirlwind also known as Jean   
  
stormed between the various medical equipment and the clone, which they had been   
  
forced to remove from the stasis capsule as the clone went into a series of   
  
violent convulsions.   
  
  
  
Being a soldier and a diplomat, Ca'el's experience into medicine didn't go   
  
beyond the mere necessities, but still it was enough to know that right now, all   
  
he could do was stay out of her way.   
  
  
  
"Så sgu da også !"   
  
  
  
Jean started another string of very imaginative curses as the clones brainwaves   
  
started to go erratic once again.   
  
If she didn't know better, she would say, that two personalities were battling   
  
to get in control of the same body.   
  
  
  
But that was impossible, wasn't it ?   
  
  
  
"Ca'el, get over here !!"   
  
"Do a share !"   
  
"Pardon ?"   
  
Jean resisted the urge to roll her eyes in frustration.   
  
  
  
Instead she repeated:   
  
  
  
"Do a share ! There's something weird going on here, and I need to know, who's   
  
in there ! Stat !" She poked Boone's clone on the forehead.   
  
Ca'el looked at her with apprehension in his eyes.   
  
  
  
"Sharing is not something to be done without approval from the other party."   
  
"Just do as I say ! I have reason to believe, that there's more than one   
  
personality in there and THAT is causing all these problems !"   
  
  
  
There was a couple of seconds of silence.   
  
  
  
Then Ca'el slowly extended his hands towards the clone..   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Deck   
  
The Larya   
  
8 hours away from   
  
Earth.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam was going towards the bridge as he ran into Lily.   
  
  
  
"Liam, have you seen Anr'el lately ?"   
  
  
  
"No, what's wrong ?"   
  
  
  
Liam sensed that something was out of order.   
  
A feeling that he had been having ever since he woke up.   
  
  
  
At first he thought it was just the aftermath of the nightmare, but seeing the   
  
hardly concealed worry on Lily's face, he couldn't help but wonder.   
  
  
  
Lily sighed.   
  
That boy was way to perceptive.   
  
  
  
"An'rel's gone awol. She's somewhere in the maintenance tunnels, but I can't   
  
seem to locate her."   
  
  
  
Noticing the alarm on Liam's face she kicked herself mentally.   
  
  
  
"Don't worry, she's probably just checking up on something. Could   
  
you..ehm..could you check on her over the Commonality ?"   
  
  
  
Closing his eyes briefly, Liam felt for the special signature, which was Anr'el   
  
in the multitude of voices in the Commonality.   
  
  
  
There...Or was it really her ?   
  
  
  
The signature had changed somehow, gone darker and more turbulent.   
  
  
  
Something was very, very wrong and he seemed to be the only one to notice it.   
  
  
  
Then he felt it.   
  
  
  
The wrongness.   
  
  
  
And then he recognised it.   
  
  
  
His mental cry of alarm didn't go unnoticed.   
  
  
  
In the real world, all Lily could do was watch as Liam suddenly spun around and   
  
headed for the shuttle deck.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
She had just arrived from Belfast international Airport and was looking forward   
  
to some real rest before seeking out the Becketts the next day.   
  
  
  
Remembering the nice and open people, she had encountered once before, the   
  
barely hidden hostility in the air caught her by surprise.   
  
  
  
Noticing a particular platinum blond head disappear through the door, Abby   
  
frowned.   
  
  
  
What the hell was Renee Palmer doing in Strandhill, when she had a business to   
  
run ?   
  
  
  
Abby wasn't the only one sensing trouble.   
  
  
  
From across the room, another pair of eyes followed the blonds exit.   
  
  
  
Despite his own part in this, Dick Sanchez had decided to stick around.   
  
  
  
And he was glad he had.   
  
  
  
Palmer was playing a dangerous game.   
  
  
  
One that could end bloody.   
  
  
  
And he was trying to figure out how to stop it.   
  
  
  
If only he had help.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Beckets   
  
residence   
  
Strandhill   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona was doing some heavy-duty baking to get the events of the day out of the   
  
head as it happened.   
  
  
  
A cobblestone crashed though the window, sending splinters all over the kitchen   
  
area.   
  
  
  
Hearing the crash, Ambrose quickly rose from his chair in the living room and   
  
went out there, only to find a shaken Fiona, bleeding from several scratches in   
  
her face, unfolding a small piece of paper, which had been tied to the   
  
cobblestone.   
  
  
  
Silently she handed it over to him.   
  
  
  
All it said was:   
  
  
  
"Freaks are not welcome in Strandhill"   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Larya   
  
Shuttle deck   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Ignoring Lily's voice telling him to slow down, Liam ran, in an almost inhumanly   
  
speed, to the nearest maintenance access.   
  
  
  
Not bothering to open it, but simply tearing the door out of the hinges, never   
  
noticing the bloody cuts it's edges carved in his hands, he proceeded to worm   
  
his way through the narrow opening, focusing entirely on the centre of his minds   
  
eyes focus.   
  
  
  
There !   
  
  
  
A soft glowing, silently whimpering form was lying limply at a crossing between   
  
two tunnels.   
  
  
  
Liam was suddenly scared.   
  
  
  
This was so unlike his friend.   
  
  
  
She was always the strong one.   
  
  
  
To find her like this, hiding like an animal waiting to die..   
  
  
  
"Anr'el ? Are you alright ?"   
  
He softly touched her shoulder, afraid to add to the pain than she was obviously   
  
already in.   
  
  
  
The violent reaction at this simple gesture took him by surprise.   
  
  
  
Anr'el jerked back as if burned.   
  
  
  
But the visible transformation was even more surprising.   
  
  
  
Ripples extended through her entire body as it changed into that of a human   
  
male.   
  
  
  
A desperate one.   
  
  
  
"Get back !" The loud voice echoed through the tunnels.   
  
"Anr'el ? What's wrong ? It's me, Liam.." Liam's voice slowly faded as he   
  
realise that things WAS as bad as he suspected.   
  
  
  
Anr'el no longer knew who she was.   
  
  
  
Lily had finally caught up with Liam, navigating through the less than human   
  
size tunnels using the sound of voices as her compass.   
  
  
  
It was at time like this, which she felt lucky to be part   
  
Jaridian. If she had been human, the narrow tunnels and poor lighting would have   
  
had her bordering claustrophobia by now.   
  
  
  
She definitely had to talk to the Kimeran Engineers about resizing these   
  
tunnels.   
  
  
  
As she neared her goal, the sight of the two others made her stop dead in her   
  
tracks.   
  
  
  
It wasn't Liam.   
  
  
  
It was the other person.   
  
  
  
Someone, which Anr'el wasn't even supposed to know.   
  
  
  
"Boone ? Is that you ?"   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Below Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
Ca'el never got as far as to share with the Clone.   
  
  
  
Instead, it suddenly sat up, the suddenness of the action making everyone spin   
  
around and point his or her gun at it.   
  
  
  
Not to mention Ca'el loosing his human guise.   
  
  
  
The recent fireworks from the other, now comatose clone had recalled old, almost   
  
forgotten reflexes in most of the fighters.   
  
  
  
When this newest Boone didn't seem to be a threat, they all stepped down a bit,   
  
but not completely.   
  
  
  
Scanning the room quickly with its eyes, it locked its attention on Ca'el.   
  
  
  
"Ca'el ? Have we arrived at Earth already ? Where's Liam ?"   
  
There was a truly confused expression in Boone's eyes.   
  
  
  
"Pardon ?" Ca'el asked just as confused.   
  
  
  
Boone's face took on a slightly annoyed expression that Ca'el recalled from   
  
Anr'el when someone did something incredible stupid.   
  
  
  
"The Larya ! Have we arrived on Earth already ?" Anr'el clarified, not to   
  
pleased when Ca'el seemed to have lost his ability to recognise even the   
  
simplest of questions.   
  
  
  
Ca'el cocked an eyebrow.   
  
How could this human know about the "Larya".   
  
  
  
To Jean, however, it opened a completely different set of possibilities.   
  
  
  
"Commander Anr'el, I suppose ?"   
  
------   
  
Shuttle bay 10   
  
The Larya   
  
------   
  
  
  
Lily was scared and not afraid to admit it.   
  
  
  
What Liam wanted to do was dangerous.   
  
  
  
At first, the idea of something like this happening sounded completely   
  
ludicrous, but one had to remember that this was an area, where she was no   
  
expert.   
  
  
  
She preferred flying.   
  
  
  
But Liam had seemed so sure, knowing without a doubt that this was the only   
  
thing that would make things ok again.   
  
  
  
Probably some of those ancestral memories the Kid carried around in his head.   
  
  
  
She could only watch as Liam and the now green glowing "Boone" was locked in a   
  
deep share, trying to sort everything out.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Below Copenhagen   
  
-------   
  
Ca'el was still trying to wrap his brain around the latest developments.   
  
  
  
But the questions he and the others had asked in the last hour, the mannerisms,   
  
even the memories all pointed to the same conclusion:   
  
  
  
Somehow Boone and the Commander had been swapped.   
  
  
  
*No*   
  
  
  
Liam's voice reached him though the Commonality.   
  
  
  
Ca'el went in.   
  
  
  
*What do you mean, no ? The person in front of me has all her mannerisms and   
  
memories.*   
  
*Manners and memories, yes, but not the soul. When the second clone was   
  
activated and the transfer started, something that even the Taelons couldn't   
  
have foreseen happened. Due to the Kimeran DNA, Boone has his own extremely weak   
  
Commonality link and he grabbed onto the only living relative he had in there   
  
and the Commanders memories and his own were all tangled up in the process.*   
  
*But the Commander doesn't have any relatives, who could have delivered the DNA.   
  
And it would have to have been fresh for this to work.*   
  
*It wasn't the Commander, who was his relative.*   
  
Liam seemed to hesitate.   
  
*It was I. Boone's 3'rd DNA string came from Hag'el.*   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Data core   
  
"Larya"   
  
------   
  
  
  
Augur was trying hard to find something to say to the silent figure, which   
  
handed him the various equipment as he asked for it, but was hell on   
  
conversation.   
  
  
  
Ok, maybe his little rant to Sandoval was not put in the most polite of terms,   
  
but he needed the air cleaned between them if they were to form any kind,   
  
however remote it might be, of friendship.   
  
  
  
But did the guy have to be this god damned silent all the time?   
  
  
  
Sandoval on his part felt an equal need for speaking, but didn't know where to   
  
start.   
  
  
  
What do you say to a guy, whom you've spend the better part of 10 years   
  
harassing, chasing, torturing and generally being a nuisance to?.   
  
  
  
He couldn't think of anything.   
  
  
  
Maybe he should just start from the only common point they had.   
  
  
  
Liam.   
  
  
  
"So...Liam...What was he like when he was a ki..younger?"   
  
  
  
Augur sent him a quick glance.   
  
  
  
Sandoval seemed genuine enough.   
  
  
  
And the silence where really grating on his nerves.   
  
"Really gullible."   
  
He grinned as he thought of some of the more fun parts of Liam's life.   
  
"There was this time, when.."   
  
But before Augur could tell Sandoval about the infamous Giant Doughnut Battle   
  
for Peace in the Flat Planet, Lily's voice boomed from the intercom.   
  
  
  
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN TO SHUTTLE BAY 10! STAT!"   
  
  
  
The urgency and fear in her voice had them hitting the nearby portal running.   
  
  
  
What on Earth had happened now?   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Abby Franklin was struck by the inspirational lightning as she watched how   
  
Palmer made her little lies go around.   
  
  
  
Getting angry and starting yelling wouldn't help, but maybe she could beat her   
  
at her own game.   
  
  
  
After all, Abby had a major, worldwide news network to use, while Palmer only   
  
had herself.   
  
  
  
But she needed to find an attack point and for that she needed help.   
  
  
  
Smiling a little devilishly, the otherwise nice and calm Abby grabbed her mobile   
  
and started dialling.   
  
  
  
Palmer was about to get her plastic surgery tuned a** kicked.   
  
  
  
TBC.... 


	4. 4

-------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
Nightmares   
  
Chapter 4   
  
by   
  
Katja Boysen   
  
Denmark   
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
-------   
  
The Kimeran   
  
Commonality   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam was vaguely aware of Ca'el and the rest of the Kimera hovering nervously   
  
somewhere in the outskirts of his field of awareness.   
  
  
  
Despite the fact that he understood them, their presence for some reason annoyed   
  
him to no end.   
  
  
  
It felt like a bunch of overactive mosquitoes.   
  
  
  
And it was a distraction he couldn't afford right now.   
  
  
  
This had to be done 100% correct or neither Boone nor An'rel would survive the   
  
procedure with their minds intact.   
  
  
  
And he was the only one who could do it.   
  
  
  
So once again, Liam was forced to be the adult.   
  
  
  
Straining to be calm, when all he wanted to do was lash out in a fit of childish   
  
rage over the unfairness of it all, he contacted Ca'el.   
  
  
  
*Ca'el, the commander will most likely appreciate everyone's concern, but you   
  
are disturbing me. Could you please move away?*   
  
  
  
Liam was good at masking, an entire lifetime of hiding from the Taelon   
  
Commonality had taught him to keep his emotional involvement to a minimum to   
  
avoid making waves, but these last couple of months of peace had weakened his   
  
guards.   
  
  
  
And an experienced, Long-lived Kimera like Ca'el had no problem in sensing the   
  
underlying emotions of the direct broadcast.   
  
  
  
*Liam, we are not only here for the commander, we are here for you as well.   
  
Never forget that.*   
  
  
  
With a last mental pat on the shoulder to reassure the young one, Ca'el ordered   
  
everyone else to move away.   
  
  
  
A mental sigh was all Liam allowed himself before he dived into the mind of his   
  
friend, attempting to sort out the mess of twisted thoughts and false memories.   
  
  
  
The next second, he was standing in a Battlefield, the soil bathed in blood and   
  
the screaming of dying humans in his ears.   
  
  
  
*Oh God....*   
  
  
  
Liam looked at the battlefield, utterly terrified.   
  
  
  
He had, off cause, known about Boone's service record, about the battles and   
  
wars he had fought before joining the Taelons as a Protector.   
  
And of the battles after that.   
  
  
  
But nothing in the files he had read as part of his research used for his fake   
  
identity, had prepared him for this.   
  
  
  
*It's just a memory, Liam, it's just a memory...They aren't real..*   
  
  
  
A memory filled with screams and the coppery smell of fresh blood.   
  
  
  
But still only a memory.   
  
  
  
Feverishly grabbing hold of that one thought, he broke out of his shock,   
  
desperately ignoring the rapidly changing scenes, and began searching for the   
  
link between Anr'el and the Commander, the mind link, which he knew was there   
  
somewhere.   
  
  
  
The link, which he had, by accident, called into existence when he encountered   
  
Boone in his nightmares.   
  
  
  
The link, which was An'rel's only chance of remaining sane.   
  
  
  
There.   
  
  
  
A faint string of silver in the midst of chaos, feeding An'rel's mind with   
  
images from a life not hers and returning her memories to a man they didn't   
  
belong to.   
  
  
  
He needed to reverse the stream first and then find some way of breaking the   
  
connection.   
  
  
  
His mind made up and acting on instinct, he reached out with his mind, calling   
  
upon faint memories from his father's father's mothers something, and slowly, oh   
  
so slowly, the rivers of images started to revert.   
  
  
  
The only problem was, that an amount of feelings and memories of that magnitude,   
  
needed someone to channel it.   
  
  
  
And that someone was Liam.   
  
  
  
Battered with all this information, he did the only thing he could.   
  
  
  
He screamed.   
  
  
  
Memories aren't real, but they can still hurt as hell.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Becketts House   
  
Strandhill   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona felt a sudden pang in the heart.   
  
  
  
Something was wrong..   
  
  
  
Eyes filled with worry, she quickly went inside the living room, looking for   
  
Ambrose, believing it to be him.   
  
  
  
Finding him deeply engrossed in the latest issue of some horserace magazine, she   
  
felt a little more at ease.   
  
  
  
Nothing wrong there.   
  
  
  
And Liam was with the Kimera, so he was safe as well.   
  
  
  
It was probably just her imagination.   
  
  
  
But a sliver of worry remained as she went back to the kitchen, baking yet   
  
another batch of cookies for Liam.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
The Larya   
  
Approaching Earth   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Closing in on the shuttle bay, Sandoval heard a sound, he had hoped never to   
  
hear again.   
  
  
  
Liam was screaming.   
  
  
  
Sparing only a short glance to Augur and the others, who had caught up with him,   
  
he picked up speed and race into the shuttle bay.   
  
  
  
Lily was there, dragging something out of a service tunnel.   
  
  
  
Something in a human shape and glowing an eerie green colour.   
  
  
  
Something whimpering in pain.   
  
  
  
Liam.   
  
  
  
"WHAT HAPPENED?"   
  
  
  
Coming to a screeching hold next to his semiconscious son, Sandoval knelt down,   
  
putting his hands to Liam's forehead in an attempt to examine him.   
  
  
  
"DON'T!!"   
  
  
  
Lily's warning came to late as Sandoval was slammed up against the wall by a   
  
violent outburst of pure energy.   
  
  
  
She sighed, then looked at the Kid.   
  
  
  
"The same thing happened to me, when I first tried to move him. Had to drag him   
  
out by his shirt."   
  
  
  
"That still doesn't answer my question: What Happened ??!!"   
  
  
  
"Liam sensed, that something was wrong with Anr'el, ran here like a bat out of   
  
hell, tore out the service hatch....and after finding her in the tunnels,   
  
looking like Boone, and before I knew it he...he merged with her??"   
  
  
  
Turning to one of the Kimera approaching them.   
  
  
  
"I didn't know that this could happen?"   
  
  
  
"Neither did we. May I suggest, that we just leave him and let him finish, what   
  
he started?"   
  
  
  
Right about now, Sandoval had had it.   
  
"So you mean that all we can do is sit back and wait it out??? And what do you   
  
mean: "Finish what he started??!"   
  
  
  
The Kimera looked at the enraged man nervously.   
  
"The Commander had a small...incident...In order to help her, Liam had to go   
  
into her mind..."   
  
  
  
"Can't we unmerge them or something?" Augur asked, not liking the prospects of   
  
Liam doing something like this.   
  
  
  
Who knew what he would encounter in there.   
  
From what he knew of An'rel's life, it had been long, and not happy.   
  
  
  
  
  
"No. To attempt that he would surely die."   
  
  
  
The entire group looked at their fallen friend and did the only thing they   
  
could.   
  
  
  
They waited.   
  
-------   
  
The Golden Mug   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
Earth   
  
-------   
  
Abby Franklin muttered a very colourful curse under her breath, despite the   
  
cosy, rural setting of her room.   
  
She had literally spent HOURS on research and STILL had nothing to pin on Renée   
  
Palmer.   
  
Well, nothing of value.   
  
It was starting to look like Palmer had Teflon on her rear end.   
  
Nothing was sticking.   
  
During the Taelon occupation, Doors International had been involved with several   
  
shady things, but without the database of the mother ship, nothing could be   
  
proven.   
  
And off cause DI's own record were all squeaky clean.   
  
And unfortunately for her, her boss wouldn't go on air with something not   
  
proven.   
  
As he so blatantly put it:   
  
"We run a clean operation here and leave the lies to the others. Besides, it   
  
won't do Liam or his grandparents any good if we get caught with our pants   
  
down."   
  
She had to agree on that one.   
  
If they went on air with something not solid, it could easily backfire.   
  
Not only would Renée Palmer sue their a**'s of, but the chance of public turning   
  
even more against Liam and his kin were too big to be ignored.   
  
However he had agreed to run a series on various firms, who had dealt with the   
  
Taelons and drop more than a few hints on DI.   
  
Off cause nothing, which could end them up in court.   
  
Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she decided against room service and left for the   
  
restaurant.   
  
She needed a miracle.   
  
Badly.   
  
On her way to a table, she didn't notice the dark haired man watching her   
  
intently from a corner.   
  
But he noticed her.   
  
And he knew exactly who she was.   
  
  
  
Dick Sanchez was feeling something unusual.   
  
A bad conscience.   
  
A REALLY bad conscience.   
  
His instincts about what Palmer were up to had been proven right.   
  
It had only taken a couple of discreet questions to find out that the   
  
inhabitants in Strandhill was rapidly changing from your average friendly   
  
neighbours to a horde of dangerous, perhaps murderous, vigilantes.   
  
And Palmer, with her innocent concern and supposedly good reputation was pulling   
  
the strings.   
  
But maybe that reporter was his way out of a bad situation.   
  
Now if only he could find a way of opening a conversation and getting her on his   
  
side.   
  
  
  
He had to be careful in case she weren't "alien friendly".   
  
But he really hadn't anything to loose, had he?   
  
  
  
Grabbing his pint of beer, he rose from his table and approached Abby Franklin.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Sickbay   
  
The "Larya"   
  
Orbiting Earth.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Lilly was pacing the room, wishing she had brought her daughter with her on this   
  
trip.   
  
But Vorjak had been adamant about the child remaining with him and a nurse while   
  
Lilly went with Liam on his little trip.   
  
It was only supposed to be for a few days and Kimera Prime was more secure than   
  
Earth, especially since the latest Intel from the fifth brigade on Taelon had   
  
large parts of the Taelon war fleet coming in that direction.   
  
  
  
He didn't really care that it would be 7 years before the hostiles reached their   
  
target or the fact that the Kimeran fleet had most likely crippled the invaders   
  
before they reached past Jupiter, he didn't want any child of his anywhere near   
  
a future war zone.   
  
  
  
She could have insisted off cause, but at that point domestic bliss and the view   
  
of sometime without a demanding kid around sounded just fine.   
  
  
  
But right now she would have loved the distraction.   
  
  
  
They had finally managed to get Liam to sickbay, but they didn't dare using one   
  
of the blue tanks on him due to the unusual state he was in.   
  
  
  
He was still glowing a faint green, but at least he didn't scream anymore.   
  
  
  
There was a faint whimper from the cot they had put him on.   
  
  
  
It caught the attention of everyone there.   
  
  
  
Sandoval had barely moved since slumping on a chair next to his son's bed, never   
  
moving his eyes from Liam's face.   
  
  
  
Ron registered what was going on around him both Lilly's pacing and Juliana's   
  
question if he needed anything, but he took no notice, made no outward sign on   
  
having heard them.   
  
  
  
Liam looked so frail.   
  
  
  
So young.   
  
  
  
Ron had barely begun to know him and now there was a real chance, that he might   
  
loose him again.   
  
  
  
Damned it, it wasn't fair!   
  
  
  
Unknown to him, Augur was having similar thoughts.   
  
  
  
He couldn't remember Liam ever having looked so happy as these last couple of   
  
months on Kimera Prime.   
  
  
  
He finally had the opportunity to be the kid he was meant to be.   
  
  
  
A faint moan and a slight movement caught his attention as Liam started glow   
  
more intensely.   
  
  
  
Suddenly Sandoval, Augur and the rest of the people in sickbay were slammed up   
  
against the wall as Liam floated up under the high, vaulted ceiling and a   
  
whirlwind of energy seemed to radiate from him.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Mind   
  
Only moments before.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam was faintly aware of the commonality carefully prodding his mind in an   
  
attempt to figure out what was happening.   
  
  
  
But after a warning from him, the prodding stopped and he could concentrate   
  
completely on his task.   
  
  
  
He had reconstructed Boone's memories completely, but because of An'rel's almost   
  
frighteningly high age, it took a bit longer with her.   
  
  
  
A memory from the Taelon-Kimeran war grabbed him.   
  
  
  
It was a very strong one.   
  
  
  
And it involved a child.   
  
  
  
An'rel's child.   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
Denmark   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Jean allowed herself a breath of relief.   
  
After a short explanation of Liam's, relayed through Ca'el, Boone had passed out   
  
and for a while things had looked kind of hairy.   
  
  
  
Not only had his brain activity increased dramatically, which was only to be   
  
expected, but Boone, she was getting tired of calling him the Clone all the   
  
time, had also reacted to the remembered memories psychosomatically, reopening   
  
old wounds, which would disappear just as mysteriously as they appeared, but   
  
the convulsions he had also gone through had forced her to strap him down to   
  
the table.   
  
  
  
She never liked doing that to a patient.   
  
  
  
A frown made a itself known for the 100'Th time since this entire nightmare   
  
started as she read the results of a scan.   
  
  
  
"That's strange." She quickly turned around, picking up one of the other, more   
  
specialised scanner the Kimera had brought down after the situation had been   
  
explained.   
  
  
  
Erik hated it when she said that.   
  
  
  
It usually meant that something was wrong.   
  
  
  
Something she didn't quiet knew how to react to or treat.   
  
  
  
"Why am I suddenly worried?" Eric looked over her shoulder.   
  
"Boone's brainwave activity is almost normal, but his CVI is breaking down. And   
  
rapidly at that."   
  
"The CVI is part of the connection to the Commonality." Ca'el spoke up. "We can   
  
deal with the damages done to Boone's brain, but if the connection to An'rel's   
  
mind cease to exist or weakens to a next to nothing state before Liam has   
  
finished what ever he's doing, there's a rather large chance that both the   
  
Commander and Liam will be lost to us."   
  
"Lost?" Erik really didn't want to ask, but some perverted need to know made him   
  
ask.   
  
"They will go insane with the constant pressure of the remnants of a strange   
  
personality and ultimately join the Void."   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Golden Mug   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Abby looked up as a shadow fell across her table.   
  
It was a Hispanic looking man, who seemed somehow misplaced in this little   
  
corner of the world.   
  
"Ms. Franklin?"   
  
"Yes. May I help you?" Abby did her best to keep her suspicion out of her voice.   
  
It wasn't each day she was confronted by strangers since she worked the stories,   
  
but rarely anchored them.   
  
And most of the time when she DID anchor, she was working the local cable   
  
version in DC.   
  
Maybe Palmer had spotted her and was trying something funny.   
  
  
  
"My name is Dick Sanchez, I'm a private investigator and I have some information   
  
on Renée Palmer that you may find interesting."   
  
  
  
It might be a trap.   
  
  
  
But she couldn't resist the bait.   
  
  
  
"Please sit down, Mr. Sanchez."   
  
  
  
------   
  
Lias   
  
Capitol of the Planet Kimeria somewhere in Orion's   
  
Belt   
  
Some 200.000 years ago.   
  
------   
  
  
  
City Plaza was a gathering point to the Kimera.   
  
Beautifully outlined by living, growing architecture, the green glowing   
  
inhabitants of Kimera Prime met here to discuss politics, science or other   
  
subjects of more or less mundane nature.   
  
But where a gathering point to other species, which had to use verbal   
  
communications, was normally buzzing with noise, this one was almost completely   
  
silent, leaving the sounds of nature only broken by the sounds of the once and   
  
then arriving shuttles or the noises of an activating ID-Portal.   
  
Suddenly there was commotion in one end of the Plaza, and an angry yell echoed   
  
through the Commonality loud enough to be heard by most of the present Kimera.   
  
  
  
*Hag'el, give that back! Right this instant! * Anr'el was in close pursuit of   
  
Hag'el, projecting her irritation directly through the Commonality to her best   
  
friend.   
  
*That's my Pad, you..* She couldn't really come up with a word bad enough to   
  
call him.   
  
*Come on, you have been studying that thing for hours! *   
  
He wasn't for the life of him going to slow down.   
  
Not when the lady chasing him had murder in her thoughts and fire in her eyes.   
  
He wasn't tired of living just yet.   
  
  
  
Anr'el narrowly managed to avoid colliding with several other Kimera, earning   
  
her a couple of rude comments on youth and the art of slowing down, when she   
  
suddenly remembered a trick she used to do when she was younger.   
  
Smiling widely, she reduced her matter to almost nil and simply made one big   
  
jump, putting her well ahead of Hag'el´s path of flight, carefully masking her   
  
feeling of smugness so that Hag'el wouldn't notice it in the Commonality.   
  
  
  
Hag'el glanced behind him nervously.   
  
He didn't like the sudden silence from Anr'el.   
  
When she was this silent, she was usually up to something.   
  
Of all the scientists he knew, and that was a lot, she was by far the one most   
  
likely to find some probably very painful way of getting back at him.   
  
  
  
Suddenly his premonition was made true as a hard yank and an elbow in the mid   
  
section had him bending over, not only temporary airless but also minus one   
  
pad.   
  
"Not fair." He managed to choke out, all ability to use the Commonality lost to   
  
him for the moment.   
  
"Ah, so we decided to use vocal language now?"   
  
Anr'el teased, jumping nearly 10 feet up in the air and landing on one of the   
  
branches of a nearby tree.   
  
"So that's how you did it." Hag'el couldn't help grinning at the ingenuity in   
  
using one of the most overlooked aspects of Kimeran biology: The ability to   
  
control the amount of mass and thus weight of ones body.   
  
"What is it one of those great philosophers of yours once said:' Remembrance is   
  
the way to the future and forgetfulness only get your rear end kicked.'"   
  
"As usual, you are warping quotes to fit your own ends. But aside from that.."   
  
Hag'el jumped up next to Anr'el and made himself comfortable.   
  
"What's on that pad that makes it so important you can't even spend 5 centrums   
  
away from it with your best friend?"   
  
Anr'el sighed and all but fell down in a sitting position on the giant branch   
  
herself, her feet dangling over the sides and her back leaning comfortably   
  
against the main bulk.   
  
"It's about the Taelons. And the Jaridians as well for that matter. Something we   
  
overlooked when we added our DNA to help the Jaridians and caused the   
  
evolutionary leap in part of the populous."   
  
She looked serious enough for Hag'el to stop being the friend and start being   
  
the scientist.   
  
"Bad?"   
  
"Bad enough. If my calculations are correct, in future generations both species   
  
are going to have problems with reproduction. I can't exactly say which   
  
problems, but I can say that it's going to escalate with time and the   
  
intermixing of the genes in the general populous. Now, with enough research   
  
over the next decades, this can be corrected as our own problems in that area   
  
was in the past, but there is another and more pressing problem.   
  
The Taelon Commonality is still not as stable as I want it to be. The honour   
  
codex of the Jaridians is good enough on their level of evolution, but the   
  
Taelons it makes to rigid to securely evolve their Commonality into something   
  
self-maintaining. Their need for everything in life to fit into a certain   
  
pattern makes it stiff. You know, that our Commonality maintains itself to a   
  
certain degree thanks to the fact that it changes and evolves constantly, but as   
  
things are right now, the Taelons need to be in constant contact with it not   
  
only to maintain their evolutionary progress and prevent them from falling back   
  
into the Atavus stage, but also to prevent the Commonality from collapsing.   
  
Since the Taelons don't have an subconscious connection to their Commonality   
  
like we have to ours, they have to stay awake all the time and that   
  
means...trouble."   
  
Hag'el nodded.   
  
"I see where you are heading. If any type of creature, matter based or energy   
  
based, doesn't get enough sleep, it starts developing severe psychotic, not to   
  
mention paranoid, traits. I've seen it happen in other species. And with the   
  
level of technology the Taelons posses now, that could be dangerous not only to   
  
the Jaridians, but also to us. So, what's your suggestion?"   
  
The ghost of a smile shone in her face for a second.   
  
Hag'el always was good at reading her.   
  
Sometimes she wished he was her breeding partner.   
  
Or perhaps even life mate.   
  
But nature, or more specific instinct, had wanted it differently.   
  
"I suggest we click in a couple of Kimera in the Taelon Commonality, just to   
  
kick-start the process of the changing matrix. With a little bit of luck, the   
  
Taelons will adapt and they will integrate the subconscious link in their minds   
  
in the process."   
  
" Did you send this to the Council?"   
  
"Yes. But I wanted to make sure I covered all the bases and angles."   
  
"Don't worry about it. If I've learned anything about you over the times, it's   
  
that you always had a keen eye for details and eventualities. "   
  
Hag'el rose and brushed of foliage from his body, then stretched out his hand   
  
toward Anr'el.   
  
"So put that pad away and let's have some fun." A roguish smile and a feeling of   
  
mischief radiated towards her. "After all, we are still young enough to get away   
  
with it."   
  
  
  
-------   
  
Liam's Mind   
  
A moment ago.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam managed to break away from the memory for a while.   
  
Anr'el had know his father?   
  
That explained a lot.   
  
But not everything.   
  
For instance, why did these memories seem to go past so much slower than the   
  
others?   
  
Was it because of something he was meant to see?   
  
Or was it because of the strong feelings connected to it?   
  
Maybe Anr'el could help him sort it out afterwards.   
  
  
  
Provided they survived this of cause.   
  
  
  
And there was still the faint memory of a child somewhere in all this.   
  
Mentally steeling himself as well as he could, he felt himself once again being   
  
dragged backwards in time to the long gone home planet of the Kimera.   
  
-------   
  
Lias   
  
Kimeran Capitol   
  
Kimeria   
  
200.000 years ago.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
A series of supersonic booms sounded above as Anr'el and Hag'el, laughing hard   
  
at a joke from a distant planet, made their way towards An'rel's abode.   
  
  
  
Looking at the sky, Hag'el couldn't help but wonder what that amount of Taelon   
  
shuttlecrafts did this far from Jaridia.   
  
  
  
Normally the diplomats would visit the Taelons at their home planet, since the   
  
Taelon Commonality became weaker with distance.   
  
  
  
But as Anr'el impatiently yanked at his arm to get him through the door, he soon   
  
forgot the entire thing.   
  
  
  
But it was only moments later, as Anr'el was beating him once again at a game of   
  
lasha, when the screams began.   
  
  
  
Horrifying screams of pain and death echoed through the Commonality as through   
  
the physical world as both his and An'rel's mind links flared open to signal the   
  
death of not just one or two but thousands of Kimera, both on Kimeria but also   
  
on the other inhabited planets in the Kimeran Coalition.   
  
  
  
The sheer onslaught of images assaulted them from all over, cascading over them   
  
like a tsunami, almost, but only almost, knocked them unconscious.   
  
  
  
And left one, lasting impression on their minds:   
  
  
  
The pictures of hundreds of Taelons willingly reverting into their Atavus stages   
  
in front of the unsuspecting Kimeran Elders and brutally starting to slaughter   
  
them.   
  
  
  
Hag'el was the first to recover from the shock, realising one and crucial thing:   
  
  
  
They had to get out of here, out of the city and preferably of the planet as   
  
soon as possible if they were to survive.   
  
  
  
He also realised one other thing:   
  
  
  
The Kimera didn't stand a chance because they no longer knew how to fight.   
  
  
  
And they hadn't for millions of years.   
  
  
  
Grabbing hold of his best friends almost unconscious body, he groggily started   
  
across the room to the door, opening it just to stare into the face of an   
  
Atavus.   
  
  
  
------   
  
Liam's mind   
  
A moment ago   
  
------   
  
  
  
Liam felt a jolt go through his physical body as the link between him, Boone and   
  
Anr'el threatened to break.   
  
  
  
NO!   
  
  
  
He wouldn't let that happen.   
  
  
  
Not now.   
  
  
  
He was almost through.   
  
  
  
Reacting purely on instinct and the desire to save the one being in this   
  
universe that he trusted completely, he reached out and connected directly to   
  
her soul, linking it to his own in one last desperate attempt to keep all of   
  
them safe.   
  
  
  
And was only granted one brief moment to be amazed as it actually worked and   
  
everything that was Anr'el imprinted itself on his core forever.   
  
  
  
------   
  
Sickbay   
  
The Larya   
  
Orbiting Earth.   
  
------   
  
  
  
The Kimeran doctor took one look at the spectacle in front of him as he   
  
collected himself of the floor, then yelled:   
  
  
  
"Everybody out! NOW!"   
  
  
  
Sandoval was of a mind to object, but thought differently when he saw the haste   
  
with which every Kimera in the room obeyed the order.   
  
  
  
Grabbing hold of Augur, he looked back one last time at his son as the door   
  
locked shut.   
  
  
  
The next second he grabbed the Kimeran doctor by the throat and slammed him up   
  
against the bulkhead.   
  
  
  
"Mind telling me, why I just left my son alone in there?" The dangerous note in   
  
his voice was enough to tell everyone in the vicinity that this better be good   
  
or there was going to be bloodshed.   
  
  
  
"If my assumptions is correct, Liam just did the one thing I never expected him   
  
to. Not at this stage in his development."   
  
  
  
"And just what is that?" Augur joined in, leaning in next to Sandoval's face and   
  
looking just as dangerous.   
  
  
  
"He Joined with Anr'el, didn't he?" Juliana's voice came quietly from the back   
  
of the small crowd.   
  
  
  
"Yes."   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
Denmark   
  
------   
  
  
  
"What the hell?" Boones voice echoed through the cave as he sat up abruptly,   
  
only to see more than a dozen assault blaster and quite a few glowing shaqarava   
  
pointed his way.   
  
  
  
Turning to the only face he recognized, he addressed his old army pal Liam   
  
Kincaid.   
  
  
  
"Mind telling me what in blazes is going on here?" The ice in Kincaid's eyes was   
  
almost tangible.   
  
  
  
"That depends what you are doing next, who ever you are." Zeke wasn't about to   
  
trust the man that looked and acted like his old friend just yet. He still   
  
remembered how the other clone had gone bezerk only minutes earlier and how he   
  
had to shoot it to stop it.   
  
  
  
Something that had oddly enough hurt as if it really had been Boone he had   
  
killed.   
  
  
  
"Who I am? Liam, it's me, Boone, you know the guy who busted your sorry as out   
  
of that POW camp during the SI-Wars, you know, where you got that little   
  
souvenir on your face?"   
  
  
  
Drawing a deep breath, Zeke slowly lowered his rifle.   
  
  
  
"That little detail never made it public. It's him. Jean?"   
  
  
  
"Excuse me, Commander." A cute redhead dropped her handgun on a table and   
  
grabbed a scanner instead.   
  
  
  
The rest of the small group slowly relaxed as well.   
  
  
  
"What are you doing?" He grabbed her hand as she held the strange scanning   
  
device up next to his head.   
  
  
  
"I'm checking to see if your CVI is gone or not. We can't have you running   
  
around with one of those things in your head. Especially not if it makes you   
  
dangerous."   
  
  
  
He loosened his grip again.   
  
  
  
She had a point.   
  
  
  
And he had never liked that thing anyway.   
  
  
  
As the pretty doctor did her thing, he noticed something strange.   
  
  
  
"Hey, this isn't Condor!"   
  
  
  
"Condor?" One of the people with the glowing hands looked at him questioning.   
  
  
  
"Yeah, my skrill. And just who the hell are you people anyhow?"   
  
  
  
"What are the last things you remember, Commander?" A guy to the left, if his   
  
memory still severed him right the leader of resistance region Scandinavia,   
  
Erik.   
  
  
  
"The church. I was hunting Hag'el.." And then it clicked: Shaqarava was the   
  
glowing hands called, and the only ones to have them except Ro'Ha were Hag'el,   
  
which meant....   
  
  
  
The strange skrill reacted just as Condor would have and powered up to full   
  
capacity as Boone raised his arm, aiming it at the man who had asked about   
  
Condor.   
  
"Who are you?"   
  
  
  
------   
  
The Golden Mug   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
------   
  
  
  
Abby leaned back in her chair, trying very hard not to laugh out loud, hard and   
  
long.   
  
  
  
"And you are ready to go on record with this?"   
  
"Hell, I'm ready to testify in court if need be. And I got the evidence to   
  
support it. As long as that bitch gets what she deserves."   
  
  
  
Abby fished out her handy, calling up her boss in Washington DC.   
  
  
  
"Boss? About that story on Renée Palmer. You'll never guess what just fell into   
  
my lap..."   
  
-------   
  
The Beckett Cottage   
  
Strandhill   
  
Ireland   
  
-------   
  
  
  
Fiona and Ambrose exchanged a worried glance.   
  
There seemed to be a rather big rally of people a bit down the road and things   
  
were kind of noisy.   
  
"Maybe now would be a good time to contact the Kimera?"   
  
  
  
Fiona would rather that they could fix this themselves, but as things looked, it   
  
was getting more and more dangerous by the second.   
  
  
  
And the Kimera had already said, they shouldn't hesitate if the Becketts felt   
  
like it.   
  
  
  
Ambrose thought about it.   
  
  
  
"No. We've known these people all our lives. They are going to calm down soon."   
  
  
  
He gave Fiona's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.   
  
  
  
"Don't worry. They are going to see reason as soon as they give themselves time   
  
to think."   
  
  
  
At least that was what he prayed.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
Liam's Mind   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
Even as Liam felt himself merge with Anr'el to secure her survival, he felt   
  
another memory tug at his mind.   
  
  
  
And just as before, he was powerless against it.   
  
  
  
But at least he could feel Anr'el becoming a singular being again and not the   
  
mixed memories and personalities of two people.   
  
  
  
He didn't even stop to think about the ramifications of what he had done.   
  
  
  
He didn't want to.   
  
  
  
--------   
  
  
  
Lias   
  
Kimeria   
  
200.000 years ago.   
  
--------   
  
  
  
Hag'el only had a second to react and an instinct he didn't even knew he had,   
  
emerged from the most primitive parts of his memories as he raised his hands and   
  
fired his shaqarava without thinking.   
  
  
  
The blast was only powerful enough to knock the Atavus temporarily out, but it   
  
had to be enough and quickly he slung Anr'el over his shoulder, heading for the   
  
nearest portal.   
  
There was only one place he could go right now.   
  
  
  
His newly acquired repository.   
  
  
  
The Larya.   
  
  
  
He only hoped that enough of his crew had stayed onboard to make a start   
  
possible.   
  
  
  
As he spurted towards the portal, he made one last gesture towards his fallen   
  
home and send out a message to those, who was still able hear him, thanking the   
  
Universe that the Taelons couldn't hear the Kimeran Commonality.   
  
  
  
The message was a couple of space coordinates and one single order:   
  
  
  
*Flee. Survive.*   
  
  
  
And as he finished programming the portal, he knew a feeling, which no Kimera   
  
had felt for more than 50.000 years:   
  
  
  
Hate.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
The Kazamatz   
  
Copenhagen   
  
Denmark   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
Ca'el raised his hands slightly, trying to make a non-combative impression on   
  
the man currently aiming a skrill at him.   
  
  
  
"Commander, I am not your enemy. My name is Ca'el. I am of the Kimera and   
  
currently assigned to the protection of Earth."   
  
  
  
Boone's eyes narrowed dangerously.   
  
  
  
"I thought the Kimera was extinct. Well, except from Hag'el."   
  
  
  
His arm didn't waver one bit.   
  
  
  
Zeke chuckled.   
  
  
  
"Bettis, you now owe me 10 bucks. Cough 'em up."   
  
  
  
Bettis sighed dramatically, then reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet   
  
as if every movement caused him pain.   
  
  
  
"Here, you bloodsucker. Certain that you aren't related to Zo'or?"   
  
  
  
"Now, now Bettis, just because you lost the bet doesn't mean that you should be   
  
rude." Zeke answered with a smirk.   
  
  
  
At Boone's clearly confused expression, the smirk grew into a full-fledged   
  
smile.   
  
  
  
"We had a little bet on what you would say first when you realised that Ca'el   
  
was a Kimera. I won.   
  
The rest is a very long story that I think we should continue somewhere a little   
  
bit safer. My people have rigged this place to blow as soon as we are gone."   
  
  
  
"May I suggest we retire to the Kimera Mast ship in orbit? I need to get up to   
  
speed on what's going on as I've been out of contact with the Commonality for   
  
most of my stay here."   
  
  
  
Erik shrugged.   
  
  
  
"That's as good a place as any. And you have some data that we don't have access   
  
to, which the Commander might find interesting."   
  
  
  
"What do you say Will? Sound agreeable to you?" Zeke turned back to his friend,   
  
who looked more than a little bomb shelled.   
  
  
  
"Do you trust them?"   
  
"With my life."   
  
  
  
Boone looked back to Ca'el, trying to size him up with what he knew.   
  
  
  
The Taelons and the Kimera had been enemies.   
  
  
  
And as the old proverb said "The enemies enemy is my friend".   
  
  
  
Zeke also seemed to trust him.   
  
  
  
And Ca'el hadn't done anything hostile yet.   
  
  
  
He lowered his arm and mentally commanded his strange skrill to power down.   
  
  
  
"Ok. But I reserve the right to be suspicious. "   
  
  
  
" That is your prerogative. And I expected nothing else." Ca'el made a small   
  
movement of respect with one of his hands.   
  
  
  
"There's a kid I want you to meet. His name is Liam. You'll like him." Zeke   
  
secured his rifle and helped Boone of the table.   
  
  
  
As Zeke started bringing Boone up to speed with the last news since his death,   
  
the rest of the small band made final preparations for their departure, not   
  
knowing what they were up for as they returned to the Kimeran Mast ship.   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
The Larya   
  
Sickbay   
  
Orbiting Earth   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
Sandoval kept staring at the closed door.   
  
  
  
His son was in there.   
  
  
  
And there was absolutely nothing he could do.   
  
  
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
The Larya   
  
200.000 years ago   
  
  
  
-------   
  
  
  
The sorry remains of his crew had thankfully had the same idea he had and even   
  
as Anr'el was slowly recovering from her shock, the powerful engines of the   
  
Larya carried the few survivors, they had managed to save, away from the   
  
smouldering remains of what had once been a thriving civilisation.   
  
  
  
The Taelons would pay.   
  
  
  
But first the Kimera had to find a safe place to reorganise and develop some   
  
sort of battle plan.   
  
  
  
The Kimera had time.   
  
  
  
And time would be the downfall of the Taelons.   
  
  
  
"Hag'el? Do you have a moment?" A young doctor called Mat'hel, the youngest   
  
member of his crew fresh out of the medical education, approached him.   
  
  
  
"Hm?"   
  
  
  
"It's about Anr'el. There's something I think you should know. As her friend I   
  
mean." The young one hesitated.   
  
  
  
"Yes? She's Ok, isn't she?" Hag'el got worried.   
  
  
  
"Yes. But...She was pregnant and the Child didn't survive." The statement fell   
  
rather bluntly. But the Doctors lack of experience and the entire ordeal they   
  
had just been through left no room for civilities.   
  
  
  
"Pregnant?" Hag'el was shocked.   
  
He hadn't known.   
  
There had been no echo of a second being in her mental signature.   
  
  
  
Mat'hel nervously looked at his pad.   
  
  
  
"Yes. As far as the scanner was capable of determining she wasn't that far   
  
along. It is possible that she didn't know herself.   
  
Her medical records show that she only recently went through the Ka'arpatham.   
  
It is possible that the strain all of this caused the pregnancy to be aborted."   
  
"Have you told her?"   
  
"No, not yet. She is still unconscious."   
  
"Good, don't. I'll do it when she's strong enough. It is better that she hear it   
  
from me."   
  
The doctor nodded, then returned to his duties of taking care of the many   
  
wounded amongst the survivors.   
  
  
  
Hag'el leaned back in his command chair as the new information slowly sank into   
  
his mind.   
  
Yet another death, which the Taelons had caused.   
  
  
  
When was it going to end?   
  
  
  
Unknown to him, in the other end of the galaxy, a Taelon by the name of Ma'el   
  
had the same thought.   
  
  
  
Destiny had set wheels in motion, which could either destroy or save both   
  
species.   
  
  
  
TBC...   
  
---------- 


End file.
